Future Meets Past
by Tbuddah
Summary: Regina is pulled through Zelena's time portal instead of Hook and Emma. She finds herself in the enchanted Forest about 1-2 years before casting her curse. What will happen when she runs into her soulmate? My first fanfic. I own nothing.
1. Chapter 1

Darkness.

It enveloped her completely and she felt as though she had been swallowed whole by black space. Sensation slowly returned and she felt pain. A dull ache in her skull, a stabbing sharpness in her left side. Her skin felt on fire yet chilled at the same time and then the darkness subsided and she could see light. Just a hint of faded light through her eyelids that she was trying desperately to open. She could feel her lashes flutter on her face and then her eyes opened and she squinted at the sky and sun that seemed to be shining brightly through the trees in contrast with the dark forest.

She scrambled through her mind trying to draw answers to questions she couldn't even think of. She had been trying to close the portal. Yes. She had felt the magic in the air after leaving the party at the diner. She had been drawn, almost pulled, to the barn where Zelena had so recently been defeated. Defeated by her, by her white magic, by her love for her son and love she was beginning to feel for others.

She finally realized that her mother had been wrong. Love didn't have to be weakness. Love could be strength and she had felt that strength course through her veins as she raised her arms and tried to close the portal.

That was all she could place. Her mind was fuzzy and the dull ache in her head had slowly started to squeeze like a vice. She was pulled away from her thoughts and scattered memories back to the pain in her body and she lifted her hand to her temple calling upon her magic to soothe any injury. Nothing happened. She could barely feel her magic at all and realization slowly dawned on her that she must have used all her energy trying to close that damn portal.

She took a moment to glance at her surroundings again. She was laying in dirt and decaying leaves. Surrounded by tall trees and shrubs and plants. Plants she recognized. This wasn't story brook, this was the enchanted Forest. She must have been pulled into the portal after dispensing the last of her energy trying to close it.

She slowly lifted her head and shoulders from the ground only to be hit with a wave of nausea and dizziness. "Ugh" she grunted as she fell back to the ground trying to regain her composure. The feeling passed and she turned to her side while slowly using her hands against the dirt and moss to rise to a sitting position. The ache in her left side protested her movements while she rose to her feet releasing a sigh when she realized what she was wearing. "Ha, great!" Of course I would be sent to the enchanted Forest in nothing but a little black dress and 6 inch heels she thought to herself. At least she had been wearing her winter coat, scarf and black leather gloves as well.

Standing there peering through the trees she was just starting to formulate a plan for finding shelter when she heard the snap of a twig from somewhere to her right. She spun in the direction of the sound a little too quickly and found herself again fighting the dizziness she managed to keep at bay. Looking up she saw a double, no triple image of a figure approaching her. As her vision focused on the sight before her she released a strangled gasp at the sight before her.

"Robin?" She questioned, only a whisper, to the man standing before her with an arrow notched in his bow aimed directly for her heart.

"I don't believe I've had the chance to make your acquaintance your majesty. Then again, thieves usually tend to steer clear of the evil Queen, especially when there is a bounty on one's head." Robin said as he glared at her with a storm of emotion in his eyes. She had become quite adept at reading him during the missing year and even more so during their time growing closer in Storybrooke, but now what she saw in his eyes was unrecognizable. The man in front of her was not her Robin she realized. He doesn't know her. He doesn't know Regina. He only knows her as an evil sorceress hell bent on revenge.

Looking closer she can see the difference in him. His hair has fewer grays and his eyes are just slightly less creased. He is younger. Maybe only a couple years, but definitely younger. She takes a moment to review her surroundings. While she was so taken with her examination of his face his men have surrounded her. She recognizes most of them. Men that she has started to befriend as her relationship with Robin and Roland has grown. Now they all look at her with barely contained rage, apprehension and a touch of fear.

Thoughts race through her mind (this isn't supposed to happen, we never met before, this could change our entire future). Her mind is going fuzzy again and she can feel her breath picking up speed as she tries to think her way through this dilemma.

"Milady?" Robin says as he looks at her with something that almost resembles concern in his gaze. She looks at him opening and closing her mouth. She isn't sure if it is safer for her to speak or keep her mouth shut. She doesn't know which would cause less damage to the timeline. If it is even possible to fix what has already happened. This is all too much and the dizziness has returned along with a narrowing of her vision. She can't breath. She feels strangled and the last thing she sees before succumbing to the darkness is Robin dropping his bow and lunging toward her, then only

Darkness.


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2

Regina woke slowly from the depths with murmurings in her ears and a loud slapping sound persistently grating on her nerves. Opening her eyes took less effort than when she first found herself here and her mind immediately clears having lost the fog and confusion she previously felt.

Robin's men were discussing her. She could hear raised voices that spoke in unison jumbled together with intermittent moments of one voice, a much calmer voice, Robin. She could make out some of what was being said, but only words or short phrases. They were too far from her for her to put together anything they had planned for her.

Looking around she could see she no longer is surrounded by high trees, but has been placed inside a tent which would be a welcome cover from prying eyes if it were not for the flap of fabric on the side billowing in the wind causing that irritating slapping sound that woke her. Regina slowly sat up while bracing herself for the nausea and dizziness that had slammed upon her last time she had found herself in this position, but it doesn't come. She feels better, although she is still suffering from a pounding headache and that sharp pain in her side.

She draws her hand to her side to see if her magic has returned enough to heal the injury when she finds that it won't respond to her spell. She again tries to conjure the magic forth to knit what she assumes to be a cracked rib, but again it fails to answer her call. She can feel it now. Her magic is strong, flowing through her ready to be released, but it won't leave her, instead remaining in her even with the pressure she uses to try and push it from her hand. She feels like a bottle that has been corked and it is almost painful not being able to expel the power she has conjured.

"Leola root." Robin states as he steps into the tent, knife in hand. He has noticed her hand at her side and the way she is staring at the extremity with confusion. "When administered it prevents the release of dark magic by whomever consumes it. We gave you some while you were...resting." She notices his eyes travel from her hand, to her dress, her legs, shoes, and then back up her body finally resting on her face. It is not a possessive or frightening gaze, but more a look of curiosity that he places on her.

Regina stares up at him with agitation and unease in her expression. She is helpless. She feels a sense of dread overcome her knowing that she cannot use her magic. She cannot heal herself, she cannot protect herself, and worst of all she cannot return home until this root is no longer in her system. She thinks of Henry, of 'her' Robin, the people she left behind in her time and is overcome with grief at the thought of not returning. She hates feeling like this and refuses to show 'this' Robin how vulnerable she truly feels instead responding with anger.

"How dare you!" Regina says with a low growl to her voice. "Do you have any idea what you have done?" Robin remained calm and collected while Regina glared at him with a look that could have killed if her powers were intact. "I am protecting my men" Robin stated matter of factly. "I will not let anyone be harmed by your magic as long as I can help it. I have heard a lot said about the great and terrible evil queen. I've deemed that many of them are just stories, but I have no doubt you are a powerful sorceress and very dangerous. Given this knowledge I felt it prudent to give you the root." Again she witnesses his gaze travel from her face to her body and her attire which he must find very strange yet captivating. "Tell me," Robin asks gesturing toward her clothing, "do you always dress in such _costumes_? This clothing seems very...impractical."

A light chuckle is released before Regina can stop herself. This man is so like the Robin she knows yet so different. He is not afraid of her, that is clear to see, but he also does not have the light humor she has become so accustomed to in 'her' Robin. He is so serious and he is missing the arrogant smirk he tried charming her with constantly in the missing year. She contemplates how to answer his question and what answers she can or even should give. She doesn't want to damage the timeline more than she already has, but she also doesn't want to be executed by his men as the Evil Queen when she is not that woman. Not anymore.

"Yes, this clothing is quite _impractical_ for the enchanted forest, but I am not from here. I reside in a different realm, and although I may resemble this...evil queen, I am. Not. Her." Regina states truthfully, hoping that denying her identity as the evil queen is the best move. Robin does not look convinced.

"You do not just _resemble_ the queen. I have seen portraits of her and you have an identical face. You truly expect me to believe you are not her when you are also clearly a sorceress? Do you think me so stupid milady?" Robin questioned. Regina did not know how to respond to him. She couldn't tell him the truth. She had to get away from him and his men as quickly as possible, and she was hoping to do so with little complication. Looking at the man before her Regina determined she should just remain silent. They would not believe that she was not the Evil Queen, and she needed to concentrate her energy on planning an escape.

Robin released a sigh of discontent when he did not receive any response from the woman still seated before him. He glanced toward the ground and then returned a stern gaze to Regina. She could see so much in his eyes. He has always been an open book to her, and now she can see the grief and turmoil in his eyes. He is sad, so sad, and she can see loss and despair staring back at her. Regina holds in a gasp as it dawns on her, his wife, he had lost his wife. She doesn't know the exact timing of his wife's passing, but she knows Roland was young, only a baby. The man before her is clearly dealing with the loss of his wife. He has not come to terms with his grief, his guilt, as the Robin she knows has already done.

"It does not matter whether or not you talk." Robin's voice brings her out of her daze of sympathy. "My men and I have no right to judge you and so we will not. Rather we will bring you to people who may rightfully place judgment upon you. At midday we will leave for the last known location of Snow White. Her and her prince have been slowly building an army of great strength and have already succeeded in overpowering some of King George's knights." Regina remembers this time. When Snow and Charming had started fighting back, trying to regain the kingdoms they saw as rightfully belonging to them.

She remained silent while Robin continued, "We will leave you in their hands so they may determine what becomes of you. Until then. Rest" Robin states while retrieving a flask from a nearby table and passing it to her. She grasps it very aware of the way her fingers graze his as she brings the drink to her mouth and finds the water so refreshing. She hadn't realized how thirsty she was, but now she was also realizing she is very hungry. He again reaches toward the table and sets a cloth bundle in front of her before turning to leave.

"Thank you." She says tersely before he steps from the tent. She no longer felt anger, but only sympathy for the man she has come to care for so much. She opens the bundle that lays by her feet and finds some crusty bread that she devours quickly. Her headache has finally begun to subside and she hopes the pain in her side will fade as well, but for now she needs to think.

She needs to think of a plan. If they are traveling through the forest she should be able to escape his men more easily. She needs to get away from them, and then she will make her way to the dark castle. The dark one. Regina does not want to bring anyone else into her situation, but she knows he will have ingredients she will need for a forgetting potion. She will have to make sure Robin and his men do not remember her. Then she will try to find a way to reopen the time portal and return to Henry, her little prince, return home and return to 'her' Robin.


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3

Time passed so slowly while Regina waited for Robin's return. In the mean time she had finished the bread and water he had left her with mentally scolding herself afterward. He had probably slipped more of the root into her food and drink, and now it would even be longer before her magic would be under her control again.

"Milady, we will be leaving shortly." Robin stated as he joined her in the tent. Regina moved to her feet quickly finally able to control most of the discomfort and pain she was feeling from earlier. He studied his surroundings and picked up a few necessities for travel before turning back to her. He passed her a green cloak and then gathered the flask he had given her. "The cloak will help keep you warm since night in the forest can be quite cold. I am afraid you will have to travel in your _peculiar_ footwear. We have no boots that would fit you" Robin states while looking at her high heels with wonder and confusion.

Before she could say anything or even think about what he was doing he knelt before her and removed her shoes from her feet almost knocking her over in the process. "Hey, what are you doing?" Regina braced herself on Robin's shoulder to keep from tumbling toward him while he rose with her shoes and headed to the small table in the tent. Grabbing a blunt tool from a box lying next to it, he set her heels on the side of the table and immediately slammed the tool down onto them. Both heels sheared from the soles of the shoes and he turned back returning her footwear with a proud grin. "There, now you'll be able to keep pace with us. Follow me" Robin said turning toward the opening where he had entered moments before. Regina released an aggravated sigh as she placed her 'fixed' shoes back on her feet and trailed Robin.

Regina stepped from the tent a moment later and took a moment to absorb her surroundings. She let her eyes flutter shut as the familiar scent of the forest overcame her, and the light breeze blew her hair gently across her face. Regina opened her eyes, pushing her hair behind her ears as she was drawn out of her temporary calm by the sound of Robin's men clambering about preparing for their new venture. She could only imagine what they must be thinking. It had been clear during the missing year that his men did not look kindly on Regina, but over time they had come to look at her with less unease and anger, being replaced by, at worst indifference, at best respect. Now, his men glared at her with the same contempt she had grown used to during the first few weeks of the missing year.

A light hearted giggle shot through the air, carried to her ears by the same wind she had enjoyed moments before. Looking to her left she felt her heart jump in her chest as she saw a little boy, maybe two years of age, running through the camp without a care in the world. "Roland," Regina gasped in a whisper as she watched the boy laugh, recognizable at any age with that mop of brown hair and dark eyes gleaming playfully.

"What did you just say?" Regina jumped slightly and quickly tried to regain her composure as she met Robin's eyes searching hers curiously as she turned to her right. "Nothing!" she responded immediately causing Robin to look at her with even more distrust. "I..ah..just was admiring your camp…" she said cringing at how ridiculous she sounded. _Seriously, get yourself under control, _she thought to herself as she took a couple strides away from the tent.

Robin seemed unfazed by her ludicrous attempt at a compliment and continued speaking, "half of my men will be joining us on our journey. We only have a handful of horses available so they will be carrying supplies and a few travelers that are too young to travel a great distance on foot. I trust your majesty is capable of such a trek, or has a number of years being carried from place to place by carriage made that impossible?"

"I can most certainly handle myself _thief," _Regina said tensing after realizing her use of that particular title. Again, Robin seems unaffected by her words, "Good, we are ready then. You will accompany me until we make camp this evening. Come." Robin states with no difficulty dictating commands to his _queen._ She thinks if she had met him at this point in their lives it would have been a recipe for disaster. He, in his grief, has no fear, patience or tolerance for her, and she at this point, if memory serves correctly, was as ruthless as ever. She had felt threatened by the power Snow and Charming had been taking in the kingdom, not that she would ever admit that. Before following Robin, Regina risked another glance toward her left and was rewarded by witnessing one of Roland's full dimple smiles while being placed on a horse with another one of Robin's men. So, he'll be joining them, she muses to herself. It makes sense that Robin would not want to leave Roland after recently losing his mother, she wonders just how recently they suffered the loss.

"And why is it I'll be accompanying _you_ through the woods if I may ask? Are your men not _capable _of containing the prisoner?" She questioned simply trying to retrieve the banter and flow of conversation she shares with the Robin she knows so well, but she regretted asking the question as soon as he answers. "Because none of my men want to be within arms length of you, let alone hike through the woods next to you, your majesty," he says with a false smile donning his face. The emotion in his eyes unsettles her, or rather the lack there of. She has not seen such a phony response from 'her' Robin ever, and the way he tries to force feeling into his expression is almost frightening to her. "Of course, lucky you," she states sarcastically following him toward the forest sparing one more look behind her to the beautiful boy that she knows will be this man's saving grace soon enough.


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4

Sweat dripped down her neck pooling in her collarbone briefly before meeting and being absorbed by the fabric of her dress. Robin was right. The forest could get dangerously cold once the sun set, but with the late afternoon sun beating brightly through the trees, and the vigorous pace with which they hiked through the woods, there was no fear of freezing now. They must have traveled a great distance, she thinks to herself, trying to gauge the time of day. She assumes they have been hiking through the thicket for a good three or four hours, and they most likely only have a couple hours of daylight left. The trip has been quiet, silent, bordering on peaceful if not for the almost tangible tension filling the air.

Regina struggles to keep pace with the now dull pain in her side. She realises she has not done anything quite so physical since those long days and nights in Neverland searching for Henry. The thought of her boy makes Regina feel heavy with disappointment, and she nibbles at the inside of her cheek as she lets her mind drift to him. She had only just found him, he had just remembered her, for once he had looked at her with joy and love filling his expression, but she was only blessed briefly before being separated from him once again.

With a shake of her head Regina tries to focus again on the men around her. Robin has his bow and a small dagger for defence, and many of his men have similar weaponry, but she knows from experience none of them are as accurate with their weapons as Robin is with that bow. If she is to escape, she will need to either remove herself from his presence hoping to put enough distance between them before he notices, or remove the weapon from him before attempting a get away. Neither of which seems likely considering her current exhaustion and the pain in her side. The aching had improved and she is able to move comfortably enough, but running and twisting through the dense trees is completely different.

As Regina ponders her options she hears the object of her thoughts speak, "we will camp here," Robin states to his men authoritatively, "we have some light left of the day to set up camp and eat before resting so we can head out early tomorrow for Snow White's last location." Robin finishes, turning his gaze to her, his lips pressed tight into a thin line. He does not seem very happy with the fact that he has to bring his men miles through the forest all for her, but he clearly thinks it is the honorable thing to do. If you can count on Robin for anything, even this past version of Robin, it is being honorable, she thinks suppressing a smirk at this revelation.

They settle into a clearing and make quick work of starting a fire, setting up a couple tents, and removing any required supplies from the horses before tying them to nearby trees. Regina stands awkwardly silently debating whether to help, _that would seem odd_ she thinks, but it feels just as peculiar for her to stand here shifting her weight from foot to foot while stealing glances toward Roland. The little boy was dismounted from his horse along with one of Robin's men, though he still seems enthralled by the strong animal as he stares up at it pointing saying horsey, or at least what sounds kind of like horsey. Roland is even cuter as a little two year old than he is where she comes from-something she truly did not think possible.

The view brings her back to thoughts of Henry at that age. Just starting to string together some words, only pronouncing some syllables correctly. He was such a cute little boy and now he has grown into a handsome young man. She has to return to him and fix all of this. She refuses to miss out on any more of his life than she already has.

Just then she sees the boy taking a couple steps toward the horses. They seemed mild mannered on the trip, but he is a small boy, and no one else seems to be watching at the moment as now he is only a foot away from one of the animal's hind legs. Regina moves urgently with no other thought than removing the boy from harms way. The fire is crackling, now that the men have added several large logs she can feel the heat from the blaze, but her eyes remain locked on her destination, Roland.

She watches as the horse tenses, the fire is popping loudly now probably due to excess moisture in one of the many logs. Regina raises her hand nonchalantly, bringing her magic forth to quickly move Roland away from the animal, but nothing happens. _Dammit, _Regina thinks in frustration before remembering that her magic has been contained by Robin, his men, and some stupid root growing in this damned forest. She moves into a sprint just as Roland reaches for the horse.

"Roland, no!" her voice sounds foreign to her ears, she doesn't remember opening her mouth, but the boy does not hear her. His touch spooks the animal even further and Regina arrives just with enough time to give Roland a light shove while the horse kicks backward and whips its tail. Luckily she put enough distance between the boy and the horse to protect him, he remains untouched, but Regina is not so lucky herself as she feels the edge of a hoof make contact with her shoulder blade.

She releases a strangled groan as she falls to the dirt on her knees immediately scurrying along the ground to place some distance between her body and the horse. In the instant she reached Roland the camp had suddenly felt ten times smaller with men clamboring toward them checking Roland, and then looking at her in startled confusion. At some point Robin maneuvered his way through the crowd, and Regina can see him squeezing his son, trying to envelope the boy into his body as far as possible for protection. Then he looks her way as she lifts herself from the ground.

"You saved him. How...why would you do that?" Robin questions in bewilderment.

Regina innerly debates how she should respond before settling with the same truth/lie she had told him earlier. _It is best to be consistent, _she thinks.

"I already told you, I am NOT your _Evil Queen!"_ Regina says the title with such disdain she surprises herself, "...of course I saved the boy! I saw he was in danger and I'm not a monster!"

Looking in Robin's eyes Regina reigns in her anger. She can see something there that she has yet to see from this Robin, and his gaze makes her uncomfortable. Still, she refuses to turn away, she refuses to show weakness. She straightens her spine in a show of strength, immediately wincing when the movement forces her to drop her shoulder and gasp in pain.

"You're injured." Robin states, standing directly in front of her placing his hands on her injured shoulder. _How did he close the distance between them so quickly?_ Regina shrugs off his hands and regrets that decision instantly as well as she nearly falls to her knees again with the pain that shoots through her shoulder. Robin keeps his hands off of her, only hovering while he makes eye contact and speaks, "Let me tend to this milady. We have some herbs that can at the very least ease the pain."

His eyes have turned desperate. He wants to help her. He probably feels at fault in some way since she was injured protecting his son, and Robin never likes to leave a debt unpaid. The men have cleared somewhat and Roland is being carried off by Little John. He is staring at her with those dark beautiful eyes. Eyes that could trap her gaze for days if he wanted to do so-he smiles at her. That smile steals all her resolve, warms the wall of ice keeping her from Robin's touch. What harm is there in letting Robin tend to her shoulder. The better she feels the easier it will be for her to escape this camp.

Regina turns back to Robin and nods almost imperceptibly at his questioning gaze. His lips turn up into a sly grin instantly as he says, "good, come with me. All of our supplies are in the green tent."

She enters the tent cautiously feeling her body drag. She wonders if it is possible that gravity in this realm has a greater pull because she can't remember ever feeling so heavy and worn back in StoryBrooke, but she thinks it is more likely the heavy fatigue settling into her body. The inside of the tent is almost a replica of the one where she woke in the previous camp, minus the table and chairs. Instead there are two blankets sprawled on the ground, presumably to keep the supplies clean and dry. Piled on top of the blankets are the baskets and bags that had been removed from the horses.

Robin retrieves one of the many baskets and a blanket from the pile before returning to her side. Setting the basket down on the dirt he opens the blanket and places it on the ground as well. He kneels on the blanket searching through the basket, digging out pieces of fabric, some bundled herbs, a wooden bowl, and a few other items he must deem necessary for treating what she assumes is only a bruise. Then he stands in front of her, his toned body only inches from her, and she only now takes in how dark it is in the tent. The only illumination a small amount of light still filtering through from the evening sun. Her minds drifts to hurried kisses full of passion and promise before she mentally scolds herself, praying that the man in front of her cannot read her as well as 'her' Robin.

She is surprised when she looks at him, noticing a flush cover his cheeks, and she wonders if it is possible this Robin's thoughts had traveled a similar path. However, the next words he speaks, give her explanation for his embarrassment.

"Milady, you'll need to remove your...clothing, partially...if I am to tend to your injury...properly." Robin says with much discomfort.

Regina is second guessing her decision. Having Robin so close to her is difficult enough. How is she supposed to suppress her feelings for the man when she is literally bare in front of him. Robin noticing her trepidation is quick to reassure her.

"I will step outside for a moment. I would like to check on my son. You can get yourself...situated while I am gone." Robin does not allow her to answer before stepping from the tent.

Regina releases a heavy sigh of resignation and slips her peacoat from her shoulders. Examining herself she can see her clothing has not held up well to the hike through the forest, not that she expected it to. Her stockings are full of snags and holes and she can see where several light scratches have drawn blood from her legs. Her shoes are covered in a layer of dirt and mud, so she kicks them off and lets them lay on the ground while she sets her coat on the blanket Robin laid out. She removes her stockings with every intention of seeing to those injuries herself. The last thing she needs is for Robin to be smoothing away the dirt and blood from her legs, but the thought makes her body tingle. Looking down she is happy to see that at least her dress seems in good condition with the exception of being wrinkled and slightly damp with perspiration from the hike.

Another sigh escapes her lips because this dress has a high neck and back, and regardless of the fact that it is sleeveless there is no way for Robin to reach the injury to her shoulder blade unless she lowers the zipper and removes her arm from the dress. A task she is not even capable of at the moment with her injury. Just as she is mentally debating once more if allowing him to help her is the right choice she is interrupted by his voice.

"Milady, may I enter?" Robin asks from behind the tent entrance.

"Yes, come in." Regina says after a brief pause. As Robin enters the tent with a lantern illuminating his face she turns her back to him, walks to the far edge of the blanket and kneels. She is being ridiculous. Robin is a respectful man who would not dare touch her with any other intentions than tending to her wound. She will let him help her and that is final. With her decision made she speaks before any doubt can creep back into her mind.

"I need you to lower the zipper on my dress." She states hurriedly hoping he doesn't notice the way her voice wavers slightly.

"Zipper?" he questions while removing his boots before taking a cautious step onto the blanket. Her mouth slowly lifts at the corners into a small smile as she contains a chuckle.

"The binding of my dress..." she states while gesturing with her uninjured arm to the base of her neck, "there is a...metal _thing_," she says for lack of a better word, "that you pull downward."

She feels him settle behind her on his own knees and she takes a deep breath in anticipation of his hands touching her skin. She has been touched by 'her' Robin, by this man's future self, but they had yet to fully explore one another properly before she was pulled through the time portal. She had decided, after telling him of his tattoo, of soulmates, of her past, she would be with him. She fully intended on meeting him at her home after leaving the party at the diner and giving herself to him completely. Now, in her current predicament, she couldn't decide whether she was thankful or regretful that she had waited.

She is drawn from her thoughts by Robin pushing her hair aside along her shoulder, she shivers at the touch. Then, finding the zipper, he slowly lowers his hand revealing the skin of her back in its wake. He moves the zipper halfway down her back before he is halted by her voice.

"Why are you doing this? Why help the evil queen? Even if I did save Roland." Regina wonders even though she already knows the answer, she knows Robin and knows helping others comes naturally to him.

"Well, I thought you weren't the _evil queen?_" he says referring to her half lie, she can hear his smirk in his voice. He clearly still believes it is a complete falsehood, but he continues, "Everyone has a darkness in them. Some succumb to it completely, become _evil, _others," he pauses in contemplation, "others have people who help them through, help them back to the light, or are lucky enough to stumble out of the darkness themselves. You saved my son. Someone filled with only darkness would not have cared. Perhaps I see some light in you."

Regina does not respond, only stares ahead wondering how she could feel even more love for this man. She loves everything she knows of him, everything he has ever shown her in the future and now. Robin continues lowering the zipper until she can feel the coolness of the air seeping into the skin of her back. She brings her arm around her body and uses her hand to lower the strap covering her injured shoulder wishing she hadn't worn lace lingerie, but when she'd dressed she planned on sharing a romantic evening with her soulmate. This is not what she had in mind.

She hears Robin gasp and wonders if he is that shocked by her peculiar underclothes, but realizes it is her injury that concerns him as he puts light pressure against her skin that makes her cry out.

"It appears that the hoof of the horse has broken through your skin. Otherwise it seems the injury is not too serious. Just swelling and bruising. I will have to clean the skin that is broken and bandage it." She can hear him behind her, pouring some water into the bowl, untying the bundles of herbs, uncapping a flask.

He tentatively returns a hand to her skin before he warns her, "this will hurt," he states in a sympathetic tone just as he places something wet to her wound. She gasps and instinctively pulls away slightly before settling back toward him. She cringes and to her own embarrassment whimpers slightly while he disinfects her injury, feeling great relief when he finally lifts his hands from her and she can feel the coolness of his breath on her skin. He is blowing air lightly over her injury to sooth it and the sensation causes unwelcome ripples of pleasure to surge through her body.

It takes him hardly anytime at all to continue, smearing what feels like a salve against her shoulder before having her lift her arm slightly so he can place a wrap and bandage. Regina lets out a sigh of relief as he seems to have finished when she flinches at his touch being placed lower on her skin.

"What are you doing?" Regina questions loudly, turning, and risking a glance back toward him with her arms covering her very exposed body. The movement causes her to cringe yet again as she instantly realizes what he was touching. Her injured side is in clear view now with a deep bruise covering her skin.

"Why didn't you say something? That injury is not from the horse." He states while looking at her. He seems perplexed that she would have kept her injury hidden from him.

"I don't need your help," she states calmly feeling slightly foolish and looking downward, "I tried healing myself, but...I can't use my magic...remember?" She says sarcastically, meeting his eyes again and trying to change the subject.

"I could have helped with the pain milady." Robin replies calmly.

"So help now," Regina answers as if that is obvious.

Robin turns away from her and reaches for another small bowl filled with liquid and some bits of herbs and leaves. "Here," he says while handing her the bowl, "drink it."

"Ha," Regina looks at the bowl and then to Robin's face, "you're kidding." The smirk slowly leaves her lips as she sees he is completely serious.

"I am not," he assures her while taking her hand in his and setting the small bowl securely into her palm. She tries not to show how affected she is by his hand brushing against her own. "These herbs and plants will ease the pain. The broth will taste bitter, but it will help."

Regina looks down scowling. She stares at that bowl, in her hand, in Robin's hand, and gulps audibly. He drops his hand and she meets his eyes as she rises the bowl to her mouth and drinks. It is awful. Bitter does not describe how awful it tastes, but the disgusting brew is a welcome distraction to the feelings generated by Robin's touch.

She hands him the bowl not completely empty, but she can't stomach another drop. He takes it from her grasp and asks, "May I look at your other injury milady? I would like to be sure it does not need to be bandaged or treated." Regina tenses at his question, but relents. If she does not let him see the extent of her injury he will only worry himself with her. The last thing Regina needs is for him to be constantly eyeing her in concern when she is trying to escape. She turns her side to him again and hates that his touch causes her to jump. Hopefully he thinks she flinches due to apprehension rather than anticipation.

"There is a lot of bruising, but nothing seems out of place. I could have one of my men, our group's healer, take a look at it if you like?" Robin asks.

"No!" She responds quickly. "It will heal...and it doesn't even hurt anymore," she says hoping he doesn't see through the lie.

"Based on how you flinched when I first touched it I doubt that is true, but it is your choice." Robin states with a knowing grin. "Would you like me to...close your dress now?"

Regina does not answer with words. Instead turns her back to him again and slips her strap back up her arm. He takes the hint and zips her dress back up allowing his fingers to linger at her neck briefly. The sensation brings her such frustration. She had been hoping 'her' Robin would be unzipping this dress, would be touching her skin, would be peppering her body with kisses. She needs to get out of here. Being around this man is impossible, distracting. Him and his adorable son are too much like the man and boy she has come to love.

She can feel the absence of his presence as he lifts himself from the blanket and begins returning items to the basket. She turns herself toward him and watches as he finishes. He hands her another bowl containing water with some floating herbs along with a small rag and she looks up at him perplexed.

"I assume you'll want to tend to the rest yourself," he says glancing at her legs. She thinks she can see his eyes darken while he takes in her body, and the way he looks at her returns the tingling awareness she had felt earlier. Their eyes meet and he quickly looks away from her with another emotion filling his expression, guilt, shame.

"There is some clothing in that bag," he says gesturing toward the pile of supplies. His voice coming out with a low raspiness she isn't used to, at least not from 'this' Robin. "Make use of anything that will work for you. My men have made a stew, and you are welcome to come get a bowl when you are ready." He says turning to leave.

"Thank you," she says. She seems to be saying that a lot to him oddly enough since she is basically being held captive.

He halts his exit, but doesn't turn her way, "You're welcome," he responds. Taking another step before stopping and looking back at her with a look of confusion on his face, "how did you know my son?" he asks.

"What?" she questions puzzled by what he is asking.

"You said his name. You called him Roland. How did you know his name?" he clarifies. She scolds herself mentally, grasping for explanations.

"I heard one of your men address him in the woods," she states nonchalantly hoping he doesn't question her answer. He is still looking at her with a muddled expression. He appears to be searching his memories, trying to remember if he heard any of his men mention his son's name. She is not sure whether he believes her, but he does not question her again, simply turns and steps out of the tent. She lifts the soaked fabric from the bowl of water and begins to clean the dirt and blood from her legs.

She definitely needs to get out of here.


	5. Chapter 5

As Regina steps from the tent she feels more cornered in the open clearing than she did surrounded by tent walls. The men's eyes travel to her immediately and she nervously combs her fingers through her snarled hair. She had found some trousers, surprisingly not too large for her, in the bag Robin had indicated, along with a belt and flowing cotton tunic. She chose to wear all of the clothing over her dress. Leaving items from the future behind in the past seemed like an impossibly bad choice, and she also figured the more protective clothing she wore the better once she escapes into the woods. She hates that the looks Robin's men give her can leave her feeling so vulnerable. They no longer glare at her with anger alone, now there is something else. They seem perplexed. She definitely is not the evil queen they had expected. Saving Roland was not something she would have done, not before Henry.

Looking around, she forces her mask in place, attempting to look unaffected. Regina spots Robin and his son near the fire, each holding a bowl, seemingly enjoying the meal greatly if the grins on their faces are any indication. She closes the space between them without chancing another look at any of the other men.

Robin greets readily greets her with a smile. "Ah, how are you feeling then milady? I trust the pain has subsided?" Robin asks with a happy gleam in his eye, a gleam she has found is reserved for when Roland is in his presence. He can't help it.

"Much better thank you," Regina responds tersely. Robin is about to say something else. He opens his mouth, but snaps it shut quickly when his boy hops off the log, takes the few steps it requires to reach Regina and says, "HI," before lifting his arms upward saying, "UP."

Regina looks at the boy and feels a natural tug to pull him into her arms, but instead she looks toward Robin for permission. He gives her a nod and a smile so she tentatively lifts the boy, taking his previous seat on the log and allowing him to sit on her lap. Regina takes a moment to look up and sees the shock and bewilderment on the faces of each man watching.

Robin interrupts her thoughts, "Roland, my boy, why don't you sit next to the queen so she can eat," he says while handing her a bowl full of warm broth, potatoes, and little bits of meat.

"Regina," she says, having grown unaccustomed to being called a queen, she never wanted the title anyway. She allows Roland to slide from her lap and sit between her and Robin while she forces mouthful after mouthful of the bland concoction down her throat. She needs her strength, and food, even bad food, is a welcome distraction from the suspicious glances being sent her way.

"Regina it is," Robin softly states. She doesn't like the way her name rolls off his tongue. The sound painfully familiar to her, yet completely unfamiliar to him, and she needs to fight her feelings just a little bit longer, just long enough to get away, to escape . The sun has set, but there is an ethereal glow to the sky that has a calming effect on her soul, allowing her to observe the camp. She notices most of the men have finished eating and have cleaned, laid out bedrolls and blankets, seemingly content to get some rest. The sooner they sleep, the sooner morning comes, and the sooner they can be rid of her, she presumes.

Roland is still next to her, surprisingly content sitting rather than running to and fro expelling all the energy a toddler possesses. She looks down at him as she finishes the last of the stew, and he turns his face up to her with a disarming smile featuring his deep dimples. She cannot help but smile in return, and if her adoration for the boy shows in her eyes, no matter, it is dark enough no one will be able to tell. He starts babbling things to her, some words, some not so much, and she listens attentively for a few minutes before lifting her gaze to his father.

Regina instantly regrets her decision. Robin is looking at her differently than ever before. Well, truthfully, he had looked at her like this once before, when she had saved Roland from that hideous flying monkey, when he had accompanied her to her castle. He looked at her then like he saw her, really saw _her._ He suddenly realized she was no longer the evil queen who had cursed the land, but rather, just a woman, just Regina. That is how he looks at her now, surprised, bewildered, but with the clarity that a woman sits before him, only human, and not the monster he assumed. Unease settles into the pit of her stomach as she tries to avoid this man's intimate gaze. Just as she is about to remove herself from her seat, remove herself from the heat of his scrutiny and the comfort of Roland's presence, he speaks her name. He says her name in that achingly familiar tone and she turns her eyes to meet his once more.

"Regina, are...are you a mother?" He questions and the fire crackles throwing ash into the sky, but she can't draw her eyes away from his. She blinks rapidly, her jaw opens slightly and her lips part. He can see her. This Robin can see through her as well as 'her' Robin. Now that he has opened his eyes, he can see into her very soul, and it terrifies her because this shouldn't be happening. None of this can be happening. He needs to hate her, he needs to despise the evil queen just as everyone else, because that is what is supposed to happen, at least until they meet in the future, but not now.

She doesn't answer his question. None of this matters anyway she tells herself. Once she escapes she will be sure to remove any memories these men have of her, and then she will return home, home to 'her' Robin, where she won't have to feel so conflicted. Abruptly cutting off their eye contact, Regina rises from the log as she had initially intended.

"Where will I sleep?" she asks brushing dirt, that isn't there, off of her clothing.

He looks like he didn't hear her, like her words went straight through him without ever making contact with his brain as he opens then closes his mouth.

"Did I stutter? Where should I sleep?" She says harshly bothered by the way this man makes her feel like she is drowning.

Now Robin smirks at her. That arrogant half grin she is so used to, and she waits for his retort because her Robin would not let her show this kind of attitude without responding in similar fashion. However, this man surprises her. He stands while lifting his son in his arms. The picture in front of her makes her ovaries burst from sheer adorableness.

"There is a bedroll and plenty of blankets in the supply tent. I assume you'll be more comfortable with some privacy so you may sleep in there, unless of course you'd rather share the company of my men," he says gesturing toward Little John, who is already fast asleep, snoring loudly and apparently drooling as he makes a slurping sound.

"The tent will be fine," Regina says turning to make haste back to the tent and away from this horrible mess she has found herself in.

She only takes one step before she is halted by Roland's perfect little voice. "Go'nigh," he says and she can't help the wide smile that forms on her face, but she makes a considerable effort to hide it as she spins to face them once more.

"Good night Roland," she states, and the smile she had managed to dampen grows wide again at his waving hand and sleepy smile. Looking back to Robin, she nods, and finishes with a terse, "Good night," before once again turning and heading to the tent.

Her brisk pace doesn't keep her from hearing his response, and the, "Good night, Regina," she hears is like a whisper on the wind blending with the melody of rustling trees and the crackling fire. Finding the safety and cover of the tent, she falls to her knees on the blankets still on the ground, and tries to calm her frantic mind. She will make for the woods in a few hours once all the men are fast asleep. She saw two men guarding the perimeter, and knows from experience these men will rotate through the night. She will wait until the final rotation of guards, a good hour past, then make her escape. They will be calm, not as alert as when they first start their perimeter check. It should be easy enough to slip past them, and then, then she will head for Rumplestiltskin's castle, then she will find everything she needs to repair any damage she has caused, and to get home.

Home, she scoffs at the word, and settles more comfortably onto the blanket. Never before has it been so clear that home for her, home is where Henry is, where her family is, and she will return to them. Regina cringes as she realizes just how much her thoughts remind her of another person she knows so well. Someone she never ever thought she would have anything in common with, but now as she thinks of her loved ones she refuses to feel anything, but hope, even if that reminds her of Snow White and her everlasting optimism.

Time passes slowly while Regina sits anxiously awaiting the final rotation of men. She knows Robin's men rotate twice, and the first passed without incident only a few minutes ago. She risks a peek through the tent flap and can see that the men are all resting peacefully by a fire kept bright and burning by the men watching the perimeter. She pulls a blanket snug around her neck as the cold of the night seeps through her skin into her bones. The blanket tickles the skin beneath her chin while providing comfort from the chill in the air, and just then she spots Roland snug with several blankets, near enough to the fire to feel the heat emanating, with a man, presumably Robin, snug behind him. He looks so peaceful. That is how she spends the next couple hours, watching Roland, smiling as she looks upon his dreaming face, and hoping those dreams are filled with joy.

She didn't think it would be so difficult to follow her plan, but patience never was one of her virtues. As she sits here in the tent, at the ready with a bag she has packed full of supplies and food she is sure they won't miss, she is finding it quite difficult to wait. The final rotation took place mere minutes ago, and she knows, she knows it is stupid to try and leave now. She will be patient, but she is starting to question just how much longer she should wait. She knows Robin is an early riser as are many of his men, who also went to sleep quite early. She just hopes that when she steps from the tent the men are not already stirring even without the rising of the sun to pull them from their slumber.

Regina waits a few more minutes, deciding this is the time, now or never, and never doesn't seem like an option. She slips her broken heels back on her feet, _such a shame_ she thinks eyeing her very expensive shoes that are vastly inappropriate for this place, this situation. She lifts the cloak over her body and raises the hood. Pulling the tent flap open just enough to allow her to slip through, she moves as quietly as possible along the side of the tent. Each foot she places to the ground softer than the previous step, and she quickly makes her way past the sleeping men, away from the light of the fire to the other side of the tent, hoping the darkness will provide her with more cover when crossing the perimeter.

One man is stationed to the east of camp and the other to the west. From her vantage point, in the shade of the tent, she can see both men clearly enough. Regina intends to head north. She honestly is ashamed to say she has very little idea where they are in the forest, and thus, does not know which way the dark castle resides. All she needs is to escape and elude capture long enough for the leola root to leave her system. Then she will be able to use her magic again, and travel much more easily. Both men are looking away from her and her destination, so she takes a deep breath of air before moving in a near run to the northern perimeter. She moves as quickly and quietly as possible once she reaches the edge of the clearing, knowing that it is impossible to go unseen and unheard. If she moves too slowly they will see her before she can make it to the thick cover of the trees, but if she moves too quickly the rustling of the undergrowth and weeds will alert them to her presence.

She moves quickly hoping any noise they hear will be mistaken for an animal. Blood is pumping fast through her veins, her heart pounding in her ears, but she has made it. She is in the treeline and cannot hear anyone shouting or following, she has made it, and she breathes a sigh of relief as adrenaline continues to course through her body.

Lowering her gaze to the ground she watches carefully for tree roots and uneven ground as she settles into a steady pace. She realizes quickly her mistake of looking only toward the ground just in front of her as she hits a hard solid object and falls backward on her rear.

"Ah! What the hell?" she looks up, and blinks rapidly to clear her vision because she must be seeing things, this can't be happening. A hooded figure looks down at her, with at least three others standing near.

A gasp escapes her mouth as the lone figure in front of her removes his hood, and her mind reels because of course she couldn't just escape, of course things couldn't go smoothly. She stands slowly, cautiously before pulling her own hood down feigning a look of strength and regality because she can't let this man see her weak.

"Charming," she greets with a tense grin. He looks shocked and immediately unsheathes his sword once he realizes who stands before him. The air around them is thick with tension, and she thinks any movement, even a twitch could mean a sword sliding straight through her heart so she freezes, stares at the man until someone comes up beside him. A smaller figure with a lighter cloak, but even with a hood Regina knows who this is, she can read it in the way the smaller figure touches Charming's arm, steps close to him, and the figure drops her hood as well.

"Snow White."


	6. Chapter 6

_Just a short one this time, but I didn't want to leave you hanging any longer than necessary. Regardless of word count I hope this is still satisfying, and THANK YOU all for reading and reviewing. It really is what keeps me writing! Enjoy._

Chapter 6

Regina looks around assessing just how dire the situation at hand is while Snow and Charming stare daggers at her. She can count at least five others with them. Two have casually come up on her left, one stands to Charming's right, and two more have come up on Regina's right side. She wonders if there are more coming from behind her, but it matters not, she is caught, she doesn't have her magic back, and there is no way she can evade them all.

Regina is mentally berating herself for causing yet another crack in the timeline, but is pulled from her mental scolding when Snow speaks.

"Regina," she says cautiously, eyeing the queen from her shorter hair down to her broken and peculiar shoes. "You look...different," and the way Snow says the word different has Regina smothering a chuckle. Her amusement does not go unnoticed, but is clearly mistaken for contempt as Snow visibly stiffens her stance, tenses her face, and continues speaking with a newfound glare for Regina.

"We received word that you have been traveling with some of your black knights to the summer palace, miles from here. This is certainly an unexpected surprise, but explains the smoke we saw rising in the sky earlier. You must have a camp with your knights just ahead." Snow then looks at her with suspicion and confusion warring in her gaze and says, "Tell me, why are you so far from your palace, and why are you leaving the safety of your camp to go for a run in the early hours of the morning?"

Regina debates whether to stick to the same tale she told Robin and his men, a tale somewhat close to the truth, or if she should bluff and play the evil queen. The people in front of her do not know she doesn't have access to her magic. Maybe, just maybe, she can fool them into thinking this is all a trap, and if they are nervous, scared, searching the darkness for her black knights, she might actually have a chance to escape them.

Making her decision, she opens her mouth to speak, but it is not her voice that fills her ears. From behind her comes a very familiar, perturbed and winded sounding Robin, "I believe I can answer those questions for you. Snow White I presume?", and Regina lets out the most distressed sigh she has ever heard escape her own lips. She wonders what more damage to the past she can possibly still cause. Robin has now come to stand beside her wearing no cloak, just a thin cotton tunic and a pair of tan slacks, and as she chances a glance in his direction, she feels her skin stinging with the anger and frustration flowing from his eyes.

"And who would you be?" Charming questions, stepping forward, using his own body to offer Snow a semblance of protection from this unknown man. _They are not supposed to meet like this_, Regina thinks to herself eyeing the men before her carefully.

Robin nods his head just slightly, he never has been the type to bow, not to anyone, but before he can speak Snow takes a step forward and stands beside Charming placing her hand on his bicep.

"Robin Hood!" She states with a mild giddyness that makes Regina want to vomit. "I would recognize your face anywhere. Your portrait has graced many a tree throughout the forest." Snows excited expression dampens as she turns her eyes back to Regina and says, "It seems you are just as hunted by the evil queen and her knights as I am," she finishes her statement to Robin with her eyes glued to Regina's.

"Aye," Robin states calmly, but Regina can tell that his irritation with her and her escape attempt has not faded. "I am Robin Hood, and my merry men and I have made camp just ahead. In fact," Robin turns to Regina as he continues speaking, "we came across the queen in the forest and thought it pertinent to bring her to you." Turning back to Snow White, Robin continues, "I have heard that you have always been a kind and compassionate princess to your kingdom. My men and I were bringing her to you, with intentions of handing her over, trusting you will be just in any judgement that befalls her."

By now the others with Snow and Charming have come closer, still on edge, still on the defensive, but listening intently to Robin. Regina can see clearly now, with the sun just starting to bleed some light into the sky. When a red cloak comes into view, she knows instinctively it is Red, but she is rather disconcerted that she can not identify the others yet.

Regina reluctantly takes a step forward. All eyes turn to her, hands move to weapons, and Robin halts the rising trepidation by stating, "The queen no longer has her magic, at least, temporarily," and Regina levels him with the harshest glare she has ever sent 'this' Robin before finally opening her own mouth in her defense.

"As I have already told this...thief," she says gesturing toward Robin, "I am not the evil queen. I only resemble her." The looks of disbelief and puzzlement she receives in response cause her blood to boil. She is so sick of this situation. Naturally they won't believe her, but it still grates her nerves, and she must truly look the part of the evil queen with a powerful scowl painting her expression.

"Right! You aren't the evil queen, just her twin sister right?" Grumpy's voice questions from beside Charming, and now she wishes his identity was still unknown.

Regina frowns even more if that is possible, straightens her shoulders, tensing at the soreness she still feels from her earlier injury, then replies, "Of course not. It is far more complicated than that. Certainly nothing a dwarf could grasp."

"Well, you certainly sound just like the evil queen," Snow states taking a step toward Regina, studying her face, and Regina has never faltered under Snow's scrutiny so she won't start now. "This has all gone on long enough Regina. Your reign is over." Turning to Robin her tone turns from stern to her usual sweet, "would you mind taking us to your camp? We have a couple miles to travel north before arriving back to our own, and we could use the rest."

Robin, never one to deny help to someone in need, answers with a resounding, "Yes." Then placing his hand on her bicep, he guides Regina close to his side, "why don't you lead the way, your majesty." He must be able to feel the tremble that travels through her body at his touch, but he says nothing. Her feet move of their own accord, back through the twisted roots, rocks, and dirt she traversed not long ago in the other direction. Robin never once removes his hand from her arm, and the feeling of his grasp grounds her somehow, stabilizes her, when her head is swimming with anxiety.

A new plan, she needs a new plan. Now she has to alter even more memories, worry about even more changes. She has already been here more than a day. The longer she remains, the more risk she is taking, more changes altering the timeline. She is so scared. What if she has already changed so much that Emma is never born, that Henry, her Henry never exists. She will fix this, she has to fix this. Tears pool in her eyes, and she rapidly blinks her eyelids, turning her thoughts back to her plan, her non-existent plan.


	7. Chapter 7

_Thanks for the reviews! I hope you all like this chapter and that it isn't too confusing. It will all be explained in the next chapter._

Chapter 7

It feels like hours. The sun shimmers on the ground, birds sing beautiful melodies, the wind blows lightly tickling her face, and here she stands. She stands in the same place she has stood since they all arrived back to the little camp of merry men and one very merry boy. They are all talking around her, and she stands in the middle like a rock in a river. Conversations flowing past her, around her, changing her fate slowly while she stands unhearing, unfeeling of her surroundings letting them glide over her.

Robin says something, he seems to be defending her slightly, telling his tale of finding her and their resulting path to this very moment. Snow doesn't speak so much as stare, stare at her, and Regina feels that words would be less unsettling than this constant gaze. Charming, and the others that arrived with him and Snow, speak over one another, throw their opinions in any pause. They are all suspicious, speak of the danger lurking in the woman standing in front of them, the danger lurking within her. Robin's men seem indifferent, very few say anything, only elaborate on Robin's story, and Roland is far, far away from this daunting circle of souls. He is playing joyfully as a little boy should.

"Regina...Regina," her name is actually being directed at her this time, and it pulls her from her reverie. Snow is looking at her, but now words are escaping her mouth as well, words that Regina dreads. She still has no plan, but any plan that these people have for her can not be good for any of them. "Regina, we will bring you back to our encampment. Then we will retake our," Snow glances to her true love, "castle." Those eyes find their way back to Regina, and she continues, "then we shall decide your fate."

This won't work of course. Regina knows none of this will work. They think they have the evil queen, that they can just go storm an unoccupied castle, but in truth, the evil queen they all know is lurking somewhere in this enchanted forest, she is hunting, still hunting snow as always. Regina does remember this time, even with the changes she has caused. She had been following Snow's success, the victories in taking back the kingdom slowly, village by village.

Regina offers no response, she must look so dejected as she lowers her eyes to the ground with no reply. It confuses Snow, she can see that much. The evil queen just giving up, giving in, surrendering. The brunette looks at her with those doe eyes and Regina wants to scream, wants to cry, wants to fight, wants to fall to the earth in an endless sleep, anything to remove her from this awful moment of helplessness.

"There is one problem," she hears Robin whisper to the others. He looks at her, looks down, looks all around at them, "she has not taken a dose of the leola root since I treated her injuries last night," he looks her way again, "if we do not give her more soon she will regain control over her magic." Regina feels hope seep through her skin into her bones once again. She just needs to stay free of this root a little longer, needs to stay stubborn, and then she'll be gone, escape in a cloud of smoke. She doesn't need a new plan, just a larger one. Her escape will still come, just later than planned. The memory potion will still do the job, just on more people, and then she will find her way home. She will find her way back to Henry, to Robin, to Roland, to her family.

The hope gushes through her only for a moment because in the next instant she sees dozens of eyes focusing on her. She gulps audibly, and blinks her eyes rapidly taking in every face, every glare. Robin almost looks apologetic, almost, but Little John behind him looks stern and determined as he hands a small bottle to Charming.

"The root," John states nodding toward the bottle, "in tonic form. If ingested that amount should last for at least a day, two if you're lucky." Regina's breath burns in her lungs, and her heart beats against her chest so strongly she believes it could burst. She looks at John, the man she has befriended in her time, then to Robin, then Snow and Charming. She sees it on all of their faces, different emotions, but all laced with that determination so pungent she can taste it.

She is about to say something, about to defend herself. Shaking her head, she begins to open her mouth when she finds hands clutching her biceps. _How did she not notice them, _she wonders as she turns to see Leroy (_no Grumpy) _and Red restraining her. He is strong for his height, afterall, dwarves have to be strong naturally for a profession of mining all day long, and Ruby (_no Red) _is far stronger than she looks, and Regina thinks it must be the wolf in her.

She struggles, flailing her arms about, but causing barely any movement, she is not strong enough. Her whole body quaking with fear. She just found hope, just allowed it to revisit her mind, and now it is already being torn away. She screams, and the sound is torture, because she hates her scream, always has. She hated it when she was a child and her mother would cause the sound, hated it when she lost Daniel, hated it when she would have to wait to release it until Leopold had left her bed chambers. She has always hated her scream.

Now for some reason it sounds worse than ever before. She squeezes her eyes shut, continues to fight hopelessly with all her might, continues to release scream after scream. Suddenly she realizes why it sounds different, why the tears streaming from her eyes seem to be soaking her shirt at her shoulder, why sobs are racking her body when she isn't sobbing.

Opening her eyes, she knows she can't be seeing what she sees, knows this is impossible, and she thinks perhaps she is dying, maybe this is what death feels like. She no longer screams, she can hear the boy clinging to her, the boy crying against her shoulder, the boy that had been screaming with her. "NO! You're hurting her, stop! Leave her alone."

Regina looks around her, feels her arms released and they instinctively surround the boy in front of her in a strong but shaky embrace, she holds him tight trying to hold on to any shred of sanity because she knows this is insane, knows this isn't happening. All eyes still remain on her, but now they hold shock, confusion, apprehension, wonderment as they gaze upon her and the boy she holds.

It doesn't matter she decides. It doesn't matter if it is real or if she is dying or dreaming. All that matters as she looks down and stares into the eyes of this boy is that this feels real, and she will not waste this gift for a moment. She leans forward and kisses his forehead, tasting the salt of her own tears, and then she holds his face, memorizes every detail, and whispers, "Henry?"


	8. Chapter 8

**Wow, two updates in less than 24 hours. I guess I was on a roll, but don't get used to that ;) I am so glad you are liking the story so far, and I'll try to address some of the reviews at the end of this chapter.**

Chapter 8

The skin on her fingertips tingles with touch, but how can it be when the face she touches can't possibly be there. Tears haven't stopped running down her face, but she doesn't feel them, doesn't feel anything but Henry. Her hands move from his tear stained face. They find his ears, his neck, shoulders, and arms as they slide down clinging to him as if he'll disappear if she removes them.

"Henry?" she repeats a little louder, a little more certain, because now it feels like a minute has passed while she has held and examined him. At least a minute has passed with him in her arms, with people surrounding them confused and frozen, and his sobs have ceased, and the screams are gone.

He opens his mouth and this time his words find her ears, sink into her mind, no longer fogged with fear, "It's ok Mom, I'm here. We are here, and we're going to rescue you." Regina's lower lip drops in shock because those words were definitely spoken, and her boy is truly right in front of her. Her brow furrows in confusion before her eyes finally leave her son to search the faces intent upon the scene in front of them. Suddenly her mind switches. One instant she was sure she was either dreaming or dying because Henry could not be here, but in the next instant the truth sinks in. Henry stands before her, and he isn't safe, however he got here does not matter, but he _is _here and this place is dangerous.

The mother in her awakens. Fierce bravery and protectiveness fighting to the front of her mind past all the insecurity and hopelessness that had so recently held her captive. She shifts her eyes around them, spies all the people surrounding them and realizes that most have moved ahead of them, _watching the show _she thinks, but it allows her to shield Henry with her own body. She quickly pushes in front of her son, never losing contact, always embracing him.

"Mom?" Henry questions from behind her. He is lightly struggling with her. She can feel how he wants to be the one protecting, wants to be the one saving her, but right now she is his mother, and as heartwarming as it feels to know Henry wants to protect her, she will not have it, not now when he isn't safe. Regina thinks the people around them would not hurt Henry, they would not hurt an innocent boy, but these are not the people she knows, similar, but not the same, and she won't risk Henry.

"Henry, I don't know how you are here, but you need to stay behind me...please Henry." She pleads with him, and recognizes that inflection in her voice she only ever hears when she is speaking to him. He must recognize it too, motherly, fierce, protective, because he stops any struggle, and instead threads his arms around her waist in an embrace. One of her own hands finds his, gripping so tightly she hopes it doesn't hurt, she can't help it.

"Mom, its ok." he says reassuringly behind her, but she doesn't understand how he can say that. She doesn't understand how anything is going to be ok, but she will not let him feel or see her wavering, so she stands straight, and slips a threatening mask on her face while she addresses the silent group around them. Nearly everyone in the camp is standing and staring now, having been drawn to the screams of her and her son.

"Do not come near us," she growls at them. Her eyes find Robin, and the look on his face does not match the others. He is not as confused, and she remembers his question the night before. He had seen her interaction with Roland, assumed she was a mother, and now his assumption is proven right before his very eyes. He still holds her gaze with his, and he opens his mouth to speak, hands rising slowly in an attempt to calm her.

"Regina," he says, but does not continue as his eyes move behind her, above her shoulder, and his face freezes. Then she hears his voice again, but his mouth isn't moving. Her mind feels addled and blurry, and she wonders how he is speaking without moving his lips until she realizes the voice doesn't come from in front of her, but from behind her.

Regina turns slightly, just enough, and Robin, 'her' Robin, comes into view. His head just above Henry's in her line of sight, and he carries his bow, arrow notched, at the ready, as he glides toward her slowly, carefully. From the corner of her eye she spots more movement behind her, and turning just a little more she spots Emma with a sword held high moving toward them at the same pace as Robin until she halts near the edge of the clearing.

A gasp escapes her lips, and she turns immediately, glancing nervously from face to face in front of her. This is what Henry meant. He said she was safe, he said 'we', we're here to save you, and now she understands why he felt so reassured that everything would be ok. He did not come to her rescue alone, of course not, but she can't decide whether past Robin seeing future Robin is really for the best, even if it does mean her escape.

It isn't until now that she remembers Robin has been speaking, and she has not heard a single word. He is nearly next to her now, only five feet or so from himself, or his past self. "Regina," he breathes out her name, and she thinks he has probably repeated saying it several times already, "move back." His breaths come steady and calm, and she has alway been in awe of how he can handle himself with such serenity in moments that have her breaths coming rapidly and her heart pounding in her ears.

Arms around her waist squeeze tighter, and she nods her head at Robin while all three of them move together, move backward toward Emma, where she stands at the southern edge of the clearing. Everyone else still seems to be in a state of shock, but they are slowly rousing, and Charming takes a step forward with his hand falling to the hilt of his sword.

"This bow never misses!" Robin states from next to her, now slightly in front of her protectively. "_I_ never miss." He repeats tersely, looking from Charming to his past self. It has the desired effect because that Robin lifts his arm to Charming, a warning. They share a look, and Charming seems to understand, his hand leaving his sword, but Snow is not one to just let things pass.

Snow's face is still crumpled in confusion, and something else, disappointment maybe. Yes, she looks disappointed, and Regina can only imagine what it is like to watch her step mother, the woman who has been trying to kill her practically since they met, actually be a mother. What it must feel like to see that Regina is not incapable of love, but that she never deemed Snow worthy of that love.

"I do not know who you are, but I wonder, do you know that it is the evil queen you are choosing to rescue?" She looks at Robin, then to Regina, and past her to Emma. They are almost there, almost to Emma and the edge of the forest.

"She is not evil," Henry states loudly from behind her, and now he frees himself from her grasp, stands between her and Robin, clasping his hand back with hers, "she is my mom." He finishes the statement gazing into her watery eyes, and she is finding this all too overwhelming. She holds him tight again, and they are at the forest now, almost into the trees so she turns to Emma giving her an appreciative smile.

Her voice comes out strong regardless of the lack of strength she actually feels, "It is nice to see you Miss Swan, but how?" she questions, part of her still wondering if this is all a dream.

"Later," Emma sighs out in response before she looks to Henry, "that was not the plan kid, what were you thinking?" Regina's hold on Henry only tightens when she sees his sheepish look.

"They were hurting her. I had to!" He states in defense while looking slightly ashamed, and Regina knows that looks, has seen it many times since he was a toddler. The plan for her rescue did not include her son running to her side with no protection for either of them and no regard for any damage to the future. Still, she can't bring herself to be angry with him, can't bring herself to feel anything but joy at being able to have him in her arms once again, so she turns to Emma and changes the subject.

"Now what?" Regina asks as they all stand at the edge of the clearing, Robin just in front with his arms shaking from the duration of holding his bow taught. She looks all around them again, trying to determine what to do next. Are they just supposed to run through the woods hoping no one will catch up?

"Keep moving back." He says, and they continue slipping into the tree line while glares stay glued to them from the sea of faces that remain in the camp. Then a whistle sounds, and Regina assumes they are coming after them until she realizes the whistle originated from her right, from Emma. Smoke engulfs her. It is a heavy feeling at first, heavy and dragging, before it switches to a light airy feeling, like floating. She is familiar with this sensation, has felt it many times, but usually by her own hand, so this magic that sweeps her off in a cloud of smoke has her gasping and choking, unprepared until she arrives heavy and on solid ground once again.

Immediately Regina tightens her grasp, it is real, Henry's hand is in hers, and it is still there, his hand, unmoving. She looks up from their hands and observes her new surroundings, welcoming the sight before her because now she feels hopeful, now she thinks she can fix things, now she has help. Robin still stands to her left, breathing more heavily now, and she still finds it amazing that he waits to lose any semblance of control until there is no longer reason to. Emma remains on her right, Henry between them, and just in front of her stands her hope, hope that this can all be fixed. Not David, he is standing there with his usual idiotic smile, and she will deny the shred of comfort seeing him gives her, but next to him stands the personification of all her hope and plans,

"Rumple."

She sighs in relief, because if anyone knows how to fix this complete mess, it is him.

"Your Majesty."

**So, yes, it was actually Henry! I didn't get to explaining much about his arrival in this chapter, but we will here more details in chapter 9 about how they arrived.**

**Regina hasn't used magic yet in front of anyone because of the leola root in her system, but we may get to see her using light magic next chapter, and we are not finished with the characters from the past yet.**

**Also, a lot of reviews want to see Regina and her past self interaction, especially in front of the other past characters. I have something like that planned for a future chapter so keep reading.**

**Thanks again so much for reading, following, and reviewing. **


	9. Chapter 9

**Not much movement in this chapter, but we do find out what happened in Storybrooke while Regina has been in the enchanted forest. Chapter 10 will have some more action and interaction between characters :)**

Chapter 9

"How is this possible? Please tell me I'm not hallucinating or in some drug-induced coma." Regina begs, clinging to her son. She has not released her hold on him since the fog of magic evaporated around them. She is not sure whether she'll ever release him from her embrace again.

"You never showed up," Robin states from beside her, her gaze finding him, dismay consuming his eyes while he stares at her, memorizing her features. "We planned on meeting after the party at the diner." he elaborates, "After putting Roland down for bed, leaving him with my men, I went to your home and awaited your arrival. I started to feel uneasy. You should have been there, so I let myself into your house,"

"You broke in." Regina interrupts with a smirk and raise of her eyebrows.

"I was worried." Robin responds with a serious tone, and Regina smiles her apology, nods for him to continue speaking.

"Your home was empty, with no sign that you had come and gone. I decided to head back to the diner thinking perhaps you had been detained in conversation, but when I arrived you were not there…" Robin says, drawing the events from his memory.

Emma takes over his train of thought, "When Robin came back to Granny's looking for you, we were all concerned. You had left about an hour earlier, told Henry you were headed home." Regina doubts whether they were _all_ concerned, but she says nothing, only listens, and glances toward Robin, pained by the disturbed look on his face. He seems tense, and if she is honest his attitude frightens her, he is not being affectionate, has not laid a hand on her, and she longs for his touch, the strength it provides her, but she won't push for it.

"That's where I come in deary. These...very concerned citizens," Gold states gesturing around the group, "found me after they had no luck locating you on their own. They said you had gone missing. I performed a locator spell, which brought us to the barn where Zelena had been defeated, your last location. It was not hard to sense the magic in the air, but it _was_ hard to find you. Returning to my shop, I had to use some very rare ingredients," Gold says while looking at Regina, trying to determine if the loss of his precious magical specimens is worth saving her, "but I was able to see what happened. Once I realized the time portal had opened, and pulled you through, it was not hard to find you. I simply used the black fairy's wand to reopen the portal, in conjunction with another locator spell to bring us to the right time."

Regina absorbs the tale, imagines these people coming together to find her, somewhat stunned by the effort put forth to rescue her. She is grateful, thankful that they have come for her, but she won't admit just how much. Still, no matter how grateful she feels, she is not happy that Henry is here. Jumping through a time portal is risky. _How could they bring him along?_ Her eyes search his face while she voices her concern.

"How could you bring Henry?" She questions looking at the faces of each adult in front of her. "Who's bright idea was it to bring my son into this very dangerous situation?" She raises her voice, because she is angry, she is peeved. As much comfort she finds in holding her son, she does not appreciate him being in harms way, and she would gladly return him to safety even if it meant releasing him from her arms. The response is not what she expected, but she probably should have though, knowing her son.

"It was my idea, Mom," he states calmly from her embrace, "they told me no, that I would stay behind with Grandma, and the new baby, but I couldn't! I'm not a little boy anymore! I just got you back. I had to come for you!" His eyes water, and hers burn with unshed tears. He has grown so much, but he is still her son, and he can argue, but he is not an adult, not yet, and he should have listened to them and stayed safe in Storybrooke.

"Henry," her voice comes out quiet, "you are not a child, but you are also not an adult, and you should have stayed in Storybrooke. The enchanted forest is a dangerous place." Sadness fills her heart at the disappointment she sees in his face, but this is not the time, they will discuss this later, when he is safe, when they are all home. She sighs and turns her eyes back to Robin, who gives her a reassuring smile. He still seems _off_, but his smile gives her enough comfort for the moment, and she looks toward the others, silently asking them to continue.

Emma starts speaking, flitting her eyes to Henry and back to Regina, "After Gold told us how we could get to you, we left Henry at Granny's and headed back to the barn."

"Snow insisted on joining, but I convinced her that she needed to stay with our newborn. I came in her stead. She would have it no other way." David says, the first words he has uttered, and she is not surprised by Snow's show of stubbornness, can't help the smile it brings to her lips.

Emma's voice finds her ears again, "Gold opened the portal and stepped through while performing the locator spell. We were supposed to follow him immediately afterward, and that," Emma's eyes find Henry, "is when Henry made himself known, and jumped into the portal along with us." The stern look passing from Emma to Henry startles Regina, yet alleviates concern that Emma and her were on different pages regarding Henry's actions. She takes solace in knowing that when they do talk about his poor choices, Emma and her will be in agreement.

"It was quite shocking when we arrived," Robin finally speaks again, his voice soothing to her soul, "to find you in the company of...myself." The look he sends her is one of confusion and dismay. He is trying to grasp how all of this can be happening, she understands his distress, she feels the same way. "I tracked you from where the portal brought us, to my old camp, then followed the path left by your trek northward."

David steps forward continuing the tale, "We had only just located the camp when we saw who you were with," he looks down contemplating how to continue, "when we saw Snow and myself." he loses himself in nostalgia for a moment, no doubt tracing in his mind what he remembers, and how it differs from what he witnessed in the camp. "Gold said he could move us all away from the camp as long as we were able to move you within range of his magic. Robin was going to be a distraction while Emma led you closer to us, but then you were screaming and…" David's eyes fall to Henry, who looks down in shame, but then lifts his chin in defiance.

"It was the right thing to do. I had to go to her." Henry declares leaving no room for argument, and no one does argue, no one is eager to dishearten the boy, and Regina will give him this, for now.

"And that is how we all ended up here." Rumple finishes the story of their adventure, and she looks around, then down. They must still be close to the camp. Rumple is powerful, but he would not have been able to move all of them a great distance.

"We are still close to the camp?" She questions him.

"Yes, they are located less than a mile in that direction." He points, sighs, and looks at her, worry and disapproval etched into his expression. "I wonder if you have any solution to our predicament, dear? You have interacted with several people who were not meant to meet you. People who were never meant to meet each other, at least not yet, have crossed paths because of you."

Regina ponders what Rumple says, gnawing at the inside of her lower lip. "I had a plan." She says in defense. "I certainly did not intend to be captured by Robin and his men, and I definitely did not plan on running into Charming and Snow." _Literally running into them, _she thinks with a cringe. "My intended course of action was going to be finding you," she gestures toward Rumple before continuing, "concocting a memory potion for Robin and his men, then, hoping that you could help me return to the proper time, in exchange for something I'm sure." She knew help would not be freely offered by the dark one, she would have to make a deal, and she was prepared for that.

"Perhaps that _would _have worked, but too much has been altered now, too much time has passed. We will have to find another way." Rumple contemplates, pacing back and forth through the weeds growing from the forest floor.

Regina takes a moment to survey her current situation. Henry has remained silent throughout most of the conversation. He is pensive, engrossed in his thoughts, and Regina's brow furrows noticing the anxiety on his face. A sigh escapes her lips, turning to look at Robin, only a few feet away from her, but he feels so distant, as if he were still back in Storybrooke. Uncertainty blankets every face that surrounds her. She finds it disconcerting how one moment these people can fill her with hope, hope that seems to vanish, overcome by misery, with one look at the worry on their faces.

A horse's gallop drags her from her thoughts. Eyes meet eyes, silently asking if everyone hears the same thing. Regina peers through the trees, moving herself in front of Henry once again, it is instinctual, her need to protect him. A horse appears on a path several yards from them, followed by a second, a third, and this is bad. She squints her eyes to be sure, to focus, but she recognizes those horses, those knights, and she knows this is very bad. The knights do not see their group, it is unlikely they will, being well hidden by trees, fallen branches, and shrubs, but Regina can make out their uniforms.

Her head turns roughly toward Rumple, then to David, and she does not even try to conceal the fear she feels. The same emotion is reflected back by David's eyes, and her eyes find their way back to the horses. There must be at least a dozen, which seems odd to her. Her knights did not typically inspect the woods in such large numbers, not unless, and a gasp leaves her mouth. Blood is racing through her veins, her mind feels hazy, and then she spots her, she spots herself, the evil queen, and misery floods her head when she realizes that they are heading straight for the camp she just escaped.

**Thanks for reading, reviewing, and following! It is seriously the reason I keep writing.**

**One reviewer was hoping for some interaction between past and present Snow. I really wanted Snow to come back and help rescue Regina, but since I am writing this in continuation of the show's storyline I didn't think it made sense for Snow to leave her newborn son. Oh well. We will get to see more interaction with past Snow though :)**


	10. Chapter 10

Chapter 10

Panic ripples through her body, and she wonders if this feeling has truly left her at any point in the last few years. Fear, panic, dread have been constant companions ever since Henry learned the truth, realized she was _the evil queen._ Here she stands, Henry's arms wrapped tightly around her frame, people who actually care _about her, _here to rescue her, and she feels the terror settle into her bones, take up residence in her soul once again because now, now she has so much to lose.

The queen is out of sight now, lost somewhere in the trees and distance, and Regina can feel the stupor of shock lift from her mind. Turning to Rumple she speaks, "We have to stop them. The people in that camp need our protection. If she comes across them," Regina frowns, looks at the ground, then back to her former mentor, "she _will_ kill them. People will die, our futures will be irreparably damaged."

She looks at her fingers, tries to pull forth her strength, her magic, but it still fails her, only tiny bits being released like a dam ready to burst, but still holding steady, and she desperately searches Rumple's eyes pleading for him to do something because she cannot, she is helpless.

"If I perform magic she will know." He tells her as if it is obvious, like she should have already come to the same conclusion, but her head feels bogged with anxiety as she ponders his words. "I could perform a cloaking spell, but she will feel me, she will sense it. You were always very familiar with my dark magic deary." He says with something akin to affection in his eyes. "Light magic however, she does not know. Light magic she will not sense." He declares looking from Regina to Emma and back.

"But she isn't strong enough, not yet. She has only just started tapping into her potential." Regina wishes she was wrong, wishes Emma could perform such a powerful spell and protect them all, but she knows better. A cloaking spell requires a vast amount of energy, so much power and strength, something Emma does not have, not yet.

The dejection that passes over Emma's face causes a twinge of guilt to take root in Regina, but she speaks the truth, and Rumple knows it as well as she does, taking that moment to voice his thoughts.

"True. Miss Swan has powerful magic, but she is not skilled enough to perform a cloaking spell. Her power is too raw, too undeveloped, but," and all eyes fall on her former mentor, while _his_ eyes find her own, "if she has help, then it could work."

In the next moment she feels so small, wonders if she visibly shrinks before them with all their gazes trained to her face. She straightens her back, drops her shoulders, and raises her chin before yelling defensively, "Haven't you been listening? I do not have my magic back!" Her show of strength does not seem to fool anyone. Fear shines brightly through the mask that seems to fail her now, fail her with these people who truly know her, truly know Regina. A hand finds her shoulder. She did not hear his approach, not surprising considering his former occupation as a thief, but the contact he makes calms her, steadies the rising trepidation within her psyche.

Rumple speaks again, his words direct, to the point, "Leola root is quite a nasty specimen. It prevents even the strongest of dark magic from being put to use, but," he states with a knowing lilt to his voice, "it has _no_ affect on light magic."

Understanding sinks into her mind. She can help. She can conjure light magic. Between Emma and herself, they can protect the camp, they can perform the cloaking spell, and she doesn't waste another instant hesitating on insecurities and self-doubt.

"Rumple, bring us back to the camp perimeter." she dictates, "Far enough away that your magic won't leave a residual trace for her, for..._the evil queen,_ to feel."

"Since you ask so nicely." he responds arrogantly.

"Please." she retorts in an exasperated tone, but it does the trick as he smugly nods, begins gathering them all closer together.

"Hold on! Wait a second. What are we going to do? Just walk right back into the camp we just escaped?" Emma asks clearly questioning the sanity of such actions. "I can't imagine they are going to take kindly to our return after having threatened them and run off with their captive." She states gesturing toward Regina.

Regina knows she is right. It would be better to discuss options, come up with a plan of action, but they are running out of time. The last horse moved out of view minutes ago. They have to move fast, and there is no time for deliberation.

"Miss Swan," Regina addresses the blonde, "if you want to insure that your mother lives, that she gives birth to you, and that, inturn, you give birth to Henry," she glances down into Henry's eyes, "then we need to move, now!" Emma shifts her footing, looks to David, and quickly makes her decision with a nod to Regina.

Moments later the heaviness sinks into Regina's limbs again, followed by the familiar floating sensation, the lack of oxygen, the constriction of her lungs, but then she is whole again, firmly standing on dirt and fallen leaves, calming herself with deep breaths. The camp stands a few yards away from them, from where they have appeared still hidden amongst the trees. Robin is beside her, holding his bow, arrow notched, but lowered toward the ground, unthreatening. His eyes find hers with a reassuring stare.

"I've got your back." He whispers for her alone, and a surge of gratitude fills her, strengthens her. Regina breathes out a sigh, looks forward, allows her resolve to toughen, her determination to rise, and she moves hastily without a word, through the trees, over roots, foot falls behind her finding her ears, until she reaches the clearing and takes the final step into view of the camp.

Not much has changed since her escape. Robin stands in the center of camp with the Charmings and their group of misfits gathered around with a few merry men. All seem to be speaking animatedly, debating what course of action should be taken, so enthralled in conversation that they do not notice her standing there, or the people standing with her at the treeline.

Robin looks perplexed, stunned silent, while the others voice opinions and concerns. She can't blame him, cannot imagine what it was like for him to see a replica of himself rescue the evil queen from his own camp.

Then his head rises slightly, and he opens his mouth in reply to the others, "We already tried that. There is no way to track her. They used magic to escape, leaving behind a cold trail, no indication of their direction. They are gone...she is gone." He says with finality.

"No," Regina steps forward, moving on shaky legs, head swimming with uncertainty, "she is not."

**So not as much action as I intended for this chapter, but I decided to split it in two. Sorry for leaving you with another cliffhanger, but I have chapter 11 almost finished, so you won't have to wait long.**

**I hope the story continues to be enjoyable. Please let me know what you think. Thanks!**


	11. Chapter 11

**Thanks again for the reviews, follows, and favorites! I hope you like this chapter. It was a difficult one for me to right, and I'm still not sure I am that happy with it, but I've been over it too many times so here it is.**

Chapter 11

"I've returned to offer you protection." she states as a breeze gently caresses her hair, her cheek, soothing her while her body trembles under their scrutiny. All eyes find her, survey her, shock and disbelief mirroring her own, because suddenly she wonders what she was thinking. Did she really think they would listen to her, trust her, and her determination wavers with every glare sent her way.

Something Robin must notice, must feel, because he steps next to her, speaking to them all boldly, as always, "You are all in danger. The evil queen and her knights are headed directly for this camp, less than a mile away." Confused expressions find Robin beside her, and some laughs, some scoffs reach their ears, but he does not falter. Regina watches him bend at the knees, lowering himself to the ground where he sets his bow, and she does not like this, does not like him being defenseless, but she trusts him, and she knows that if it comes down to it, she can protect him. She can and will use her light magic.

Robin steps further into the camp, each step matched by his past self walking towards him, still holding his weapon, but he does not have it directed toward 'her' Robin.

"I know this is confusing." he states sympathetically, looking to his past self, then to Snow and Charming who remain still, analyzing, contemplating, "I admit that I am quite..._mystified _myself, but I can assure you that Regina," he turns his eyes to her, points his finger in her direction, "that woman, she is not the evil queen you know. She is not that woman, and if you refuse our help," he looks down, worry furrowing his brow, then back up to his past self, "we will _all _suffer the consequences."

Time seems to stand still, this moment frozen, no one moving, no one speaking, the silence deafening. It is not Robin, either Robin, who speaks next. The sound of Snow walking, boot to ground, flows to her ears, and Regina gulps audibly when she sees the princess heading her way, she passes Robin, takes slow steps to stand mere feet in front of Regina, studying her face, her expression, before glancing to the others behind her. Snow's eyes linger on David a little longer than the others, before she turns and addresses everyone before them.

"I will not pretend to understand any of this. These people clearly owe us some explanations." Snow then turns once more, back to Regina, their eyes meet, and Snow's squint as she studies Regina before continuing, "but I do understand the evil queen. I know her...better than I'd like to admit." Snow's eyes lower from Regina's, she is lost in thought, lost in memories, before she returns to the present, returns to Regina's eyes and continues with her speech, "What this man claims is the truth. This is not the evil queen." Snow's gaze falls to Henry and back again. "She has her face, but this woman is not her, and I can't explain it, but...I trust them. I think we should trust them."

Regina finds her heart clenching in disbelief. In her time, Snow and her have come to an understanding, they have moved forward, leaving the past where it belongs, in the past. This Snow surprises her, although she probably should have expected it, should have realized that Snow would be the optimist, see the best in her, even now.

The others still seem suspicious, standing tense with hands hovering over daggers and swords, but no one takes any action, until Robin, past Robin, steps forward and addresses them, addresses 'her' Robin.

"You say we are in danger, and you can help?" He questions cautiously, eyeing the small group at the edge of the clearing.

"Aye." he responds, hopefulness coloring his tone.

Robin sighs, looks from the familiar man before him, to the less familiar group he accompanies, and finally lands his gaze on Regina's warm brown eyes. She tries to plead with her eyes, tries to be transparent to the man studying her. She drops any mask, any pretense, and opens her soul to his glare, begging him to see her for who she is, and not who she was.

"Then help." he declares without breaking their eye contact, and she needs no other words, no other permission before taking action.

"Are all of your people inside the perimeter?" she asks, guiding the others from the treeline into the camp. Not everyone is happy. There are perplexed glances, shocked glares, being thrown her way, clearly in disagreement with Robin's decision, but she does not let them give her pause. They must hurry.

"Yes." Robin states tersely, a frown marring his features, and she knows he is uncertain, knows she still does not hold his complete confidence, so she looks to 'her' Robin, and the love and understanding she finds staring back at her gives her reassurance, strength, even if he still seems dismayed by their situation.

Her eyes find Henry then, and she makes very clear to her son that he is to stay with Robin, David, and Rumple, no matter what happens while her and Emma perform the spell. Emma backs her up, something that relieves her while simultaneously grating on her nerves, because she remembers when it was her, and only her that instructed Henry, but she knows this is for the best. Henry deserves his family, all of his family, and she will not deny him such a gift.

"Emma, walk the perimeter with me." Regina dictates while Emma holds pace beside her. Regina has not performed a cloaking spell in quite awhile, but it is not something easily forgotten. Rumple drilled the spell into her mind, lesson after lesson, and so she chants now as they walk the treeline. She grabs Emma's hand into her own, squeezes, and the other woman takes the hint, begins chanting along with Regina, repeating the words that leave her mouth.

They arrive back to the center after encircling the camp with the spell. Past Robin looks confused and questions her, "What do you intend to do? The leola root may be fading, but you can't possibly have use of your magic yet?"

She smiles smugly because he is right, she does not have control of her magic yet, her dark magic, so she clarifies for him, and the others that have approached, "True, but your root only prevents the use of dark magic," and her smile widens, baring her teeth, as she takes in the puzzled looks around her, "not light magic." She moves to face Emma, eyes locking with the nervous green ones across from her.

"Everyone stand back!" She declares loudly, not breaking eye contact, and she can hear it again, can hear galloping, hear the horses, their hooves hitting the dirt. They have to hurry, they must hurry, and adrenaline races through her veins as she lifts her hands, grabs Emma's and tells her to focus, to feel, to let her emotions, her instincts protect them, protect them all. A glow appears hovering around the blonde in front of her, and Regina feels her body flood with relief before she pulls on her own feelings, her own emotions.

She thinks of Henry, thinks of her baby, her young man, thinks of Robin and his reassuring smile, thinks of Roland, and his glorious brown eyes and dimples. Emotions pour forth from her body, and she feels out of control, has never let herself feel this deeply before, completely unfettered, about so many people at once. More people come to her mind, David, Rumple, and Snow, of course Snow, and her mind traces over the woman she knows, the woman who sent her husband, her true love, to help rescue Regina, the woman who right now stands a few feet away, unknowing of their future, of their friendship yet to come, yet still willing to trust her in this moment.

A blinding light surrounds her, encompasses every sense. She can feel this light, smell it, taste it, and it carefully strokes her skin, flits beside her, and then it widens, dims, pulses around her, around them, and soon it extends to the perimeter of the camp, it surrounds them all. She can see again, and she realizes her eyes have been open the whole time, but the bright light prevented her from viewing anything else.

Her eyes fall on a horse in the distance, just appearing through the trees, and Regina releases a breath of relief. They did it. They placed the cloak in time, and she watches horse after horse, knight after knight continue on their path, passing by, oblivious to the camp directly beside them. Then _she _comes into view, the evil queen, and Regina misses the looks of astonishment thrown in her direction, she misses the gasps of disbelief, because she can't tear her eyes from the woman on the horse, the woman she once was.

"Stop!"

Regina jumps in surprise, and panic rushes through her body. That was her, that was the evil queen, and why does she want them to stop? Does she sense something? This can't be happening, and Regina searches her memories, tries to remember any of this, hopes that they continue on their way when her own voice finds her ears again.

"I thought there were reports of Snow White in these woods? I have not seen any sign of civilization for miles! Have _you_?" The queen questions the black knight just ahead of her.

"No your majesty. Perhaps the reports were false." He states, and even Regina thinks he sounds like a moron, so she is not surprised by the queen's reaction.

A scoff leaves her bright red lips, and with a wave of her hand the queen mutters, "Imbecile." The man is thrown from his horse with a grunt before rising, and quickly moving as far from the queen's view as possible.

"Lead me to the summer palace. I'll waste no more of my time traipsing through these woods in a blind search for Snow White." The queen dictates, contempt and disgust filling her expression after uttering Snow's name. "I'll have her soon enough." She finishes as the horses shift direction, heading east, and Regina does remember this now. She can recall spending the day on horseback trekking through the forest with no sign of habitation anywhere. She had been so frustrated and irritated by the time she arrived at the summer palace, she insisted her guards bring the villagers responsible for the false reports to her dungeons.

Regina feels frozen, stiff, like a stone statue trapped in the past until the last horse is out of her sight. It is not until then that she hears the world around her, sees the people watching her in awe, and feels the heaviness and fatigue pull at her body. She is not used to light magic, it is powerful, makes her feel strong while she casts it, but now, afterward, it has left her feeling more drained than she can ever remember. Then again, she has never attempted a cloaking spell of this magnitude, only ever having cared about protecting herself.

Voices fill her head, swim amongst her own thoughts, while she observes her surroundings. The bright light is now just a shimmer like a dome encompassing the camp. Rumple stands near her with a knowing grin on his mouth. Emma stands before her, looking just as spent as she feels, with David beside her, _or is that Charming? _she wonders_, no, definitely David, _she thinks as he embraces his daughter. Henry is beside them, a huge smile on his face, directed towards her, and even though she feels so tired, her mind and body seem stale and old, she still returns his smile. It is a reflex.

An arm encircles her waist, and she feeds on the support offered, slumping slightly before turning into the embrace and grasping at Robin's chest gripping handfuls of his shirt, 'her' Robin. Her breath escapes in short pants, and she looks at his smiling face, now contorting with concern as he observes her state. She attempts a smile to put him at ease, but it has no affect, not when she is gripping him, and holding on like he is her lifeline. She suddenly feels sick, her head spinning, and she wonders if it will always feel like this to use light magic, or if it is just the magnitude of the spell, because she has never felt this way before, not from using magic. Her knees give out slightly, and Robin's other arm comes up, his hand gripping her hip, and she thinks he is probably holding her entire weight, but he doesn't seem to mind, only seems concerned, speaking to her, but she can't pick his words out of the jumble in her mind.

Then her eyes glance just beside Robin. Charming, Snow, past Robin, and a few of his men stand there with furrowed brows. So many emotions warring in their eyes, and it almost makes Regina chuckle because this is all so ridiculous, all so confusing. She finds her voice, but it does not come out strong, instead leaving her lips breathily, "I told you," she pauses for a breath, "I wasn't the evil queen." She chuckles at their shocked expressions, and things are starting to become clearer.

Robin's voice sounds from beside her, "What is wrong with her?" he questions Rumplestiltskin before turning his gaze back on her, "Regina, Regina, are you alright?" One of his hands cups her cheek, while the other wraps around her more tightly. The fatigue still weighs her down, pulls at her consciousness, but she feels so safe in his embrace, mutters something about being fine, but he is not convinced.

"It is the light magic," Rumple speaks, "she is not accustomed to expending that kind of power. It can be quite...debilitating, but she will recover."

"But I feel fine, definitely tired, but fine. Why did the magic not affect me like that?" Emma asks, looking toward Regina, and now she is beginning to wonder just how horrible she must look to warrant such concern.

"Light magic is a part of you Miss Swan. Consider yourself lucky. Regina's body is not as...acquainted with this form of magic." Rumple sighs, looks pensive as he eyes the camp where they find themselves. "She should rest," and with a wave of his hand, a handful of tents appear near the perimeter, just inside the protection of the cloak.

Regina feels the heaviness subside, and suddenly she feels so light, unattached, free, and it is an uplifting sensation, until she realizes she has literally been lifted, and just as suddenly, all of her faculties have returned as she turns toward the man holding her.

"No." she states, and the smirk on his face sends jolts through her, makes her feel warm and pleasant, but she will not yield.

"Well Milady, it seems you are already feeling more like yourself," and she can't help but return the grin he sends her, "but I must insist you rest a bit."

Henry moves within her view, and she cannot help but feel weak in Robin's arms, and she only wants Henry to see her strong, she wants to protect him, but before she can struggle, before she can voice another argument Henry makes a request, and she won't deny him, not now, right now she only wants him to keep smiling. "Mom, please, just let us take care of you. You need to rest."

She gulps, sighs, but then she acquiesces, to her son, to Henry, and to Robin. "Fine." Robin must take it as permission enough as he starts to walk with her, heading for one of the conjured tents. She examines him, his tense jaw, worried expression, and makes a mental note to ask him what has him so distraught.

Her gaze returns to Henry over Robin's shoulder, and she can see him smiling, talking with Emma and David, and then she catches Robin's eye, past Robin. He is watching her, watching 'her' Robin, with such an insightful gaze, like a scientist looking through a microscope, and his eyes penetrate, they pierce, making her feel self conscious and her thoughts permeable like he can read her mind. She breaks eye contact, looks back to 'her' Robin as he carries her over the threshold of the tent.


	12. Chapter 12

**Wow, I hope the quick update is ok. I received a request for more outlaw queen, and I had this written partially. I was going to have more happen in chapter 12, but I love these two, and I didn't want to leave all of you the rest of the weekend without more interaction between them. Enjoy.**

Sleep eludes her. Robin had set her on a comfortable nest of blankets, before imploring her to rest and taking his leave from her tent. He hadn't given her time to ask him about his behavior, his feelings, and her lack of understanding of his state of mind has her head reeling and self doubt springing up.

Taking advantage of this moment of privacy, Regina rises from her cocoon of blankets and begins peeling the layers of clothing from her body. Her cloak had been the first to land on the ground, soon followed by the shirt and pants lent to her by the merry men. She stood there in nothing but the black dress she wore when she arrived, bare feet against the cold dirt ground, bare legs still blanketed with tiny scratches in the midst of healing. For the first time since she entered this time, she feels like herself, she feels like Regina. She lets the cool air fill her lungs, feels the pain of her injuries long forgotten renewed, and she feels alive, she feels real, and she just stands there in her revelation.

She hears the tent flap rise and fall, and she opens her eyes. She did not remember having closed them, and before her stands Robin. She examines him closely in the dimlit tent wondering which Robin walks towards her, but it doesn't take her long to recognize his strong embrace, or the shaky exhale she feels moisten her neck with a hot breath.

"Robin." She whispers soothingly lifting her arms, encircling his waist, and burrowing her face into his chest. Her nostrils flare as she inhales, breathes in his scent, the familiar smell that has her shivering. Regina is so grateful for this man, and as much as she wants to stay lost in his arms, wants to let his embrace warm and soothe her, she needs to know what has him so troubled. After taking one more deep breath, letting his essence expand her lungs, she leans back slightly allowing her eyes to find his, only inches away. Her hand rises to his face, and she gives him a reassuring smile before asking her question.

"What is wrong, Robin?" She whispers and finds it is all she has to say because he understands, he looks down, and she is confused by the guilt, by the shame that colors his features before he meets her questioning gaze once more.

"I don't want to burden you," he replies, raising his hand to her hair, weaving his fingers in the silky locks. "I was so frightened Regina." he murmurs while closing his eyes, dropping his forehead to hers, his already strong embrace tightening even more around her body. Relief overcomes her confusion as she realizes the reason for his distance, for his troubled looks was not because he lacked feelings for her, but because he was overcome with feelings for her. He was afraid of losing her, so afraid, and he did not want to burden her with his fears, with his distress. The realization has her soul delighting in appreciation and affection for the man holding her.

However, her relief is only momentary as his tightening embrace brings her mind back to her injuries, and it is very clear that whatever "medicine" the other Robin gave her hours ago has worn off. She can't help the whimper that leaves her lips, she does not want it to, tries to muffle it, because she wants to remain in this moment as long as possible, but he hears it. His concerned eyes meet her brown depths, questioning, silently asking what is wrong.

"I was injured when I fell through the portal...and again while protecting Roland after we made camp." She states matter of factly. Uneasiness floods Robin's expression so she continues, "but I'm fine." and she manages a grin, tries to further embed herself in his arms, nestling her face in the crook of his neck.

Robin grips her biceps, and guides her to the blankets sprawled on the ground, her warm little nest from earlier. The material feels soft and warm and tickles her feet. "Show me." he states firmly leaving no room for argument. This is not what she was hoping for when he led her to the blankets. Close, but not quite, but she can give as good as she gets so she turns her body, seductively glancing over her shoulder.

"Unzip me." she declares suggestively, and he does not miss the gleam in her eyes, or the slight lift of her eyebrow. They can both feel the air thrum with electricity, and the way he lifts his hands and slowly lowers her zipper has a warm heat spreading down her body, a tug of arousal pulling her gaze into his. His eyes darken with desire, and it thrills her that he wants her so badly, so clearly. Unfortunately, the moment of pleasure is cut short when his gaze finds her shoulder, the darkening bruise and broken skin.

"Regina! This is not a mild injury." she looks away from him, disappointment and frustration filling the space left by her fleeting arousal. "Can you heal it?" He questions, and she wishes she could respond with a smile and a nod, but she still cannot bring forth her magic, only sparks appear at her fingers when she tries to conjure flame, and although she can use her light magic, she finds it daunting. Light magic is far different from the magic she is used to conjuring, and the exhaustion caused by the cloaking spell is still dragging at her, clawing her strength away.

When she responds with a shake of her head the concern in his eyes grows, but something else takes root as well, resolve, conviction. He has made a decision on her behalf, and she is not sure she will welcome it.

Turning to him with a cautious glare she questions him, "What are you thinking, Robin?" He does not reply, only holds up a hand, palm facing her as he backs himself to the tent flap so she asks again, "Robin?" His name leaves her mouth as a growl, but it has the desired effect as she receives a response, if you can call it that.

"I will be back momentarily," he states before stepping hastily from the tent. The smirk on his lips does not go unnoticed.


	13. Chapter 13

**Chapter 13**

When Robin returns, not alone, the annoyance Regina feels only triples at the the sight of Rumplestiltskin. She should have known Robin would not just stand idly by until she could heal herself.

"Well deary, I hear you have some injuries in need of mending." Rumple questions, walking smugly through the tent before standing in front of her. To this man, she refuses to show her weaknesses, and she meets his eyes with a distrustful gaze, a stiff lip before moving her eyes to Robin, hoping he can feel the daggers she throws with her eyes. "I don't have all day." Rumple throws in, irritation coloring his voice, "I'm offering my services at Henry's request."

"Fine." Regina sighs in exasperation before sending one more glare toward Robin and turning her back to the men, the injury on her shoulder visible. "Lower the zipper more," she speaks over her shoulder, "I have another injury to my side." Robin's footfalls fill her ears as he moves closer, standing just beside Rumple, and although she is not happy that he took her wellbeing into his own hands, she is comforted by his close presence and grateful that he cares.

The touch laid on her skin is cautious, tentative even, and soon she can feel magic pressing through her, passing through layers of skin and muscle, threading and weaving it into repair. His hands are removed as soon as she feels the last bit of her injuries disappear, being healed, and although the lack of pain is welcome, the lack of sensation is not. The pain made her feel alive, was a welcome distraction from her predicament, but now, the mess before them is clear as day.

"So what is happening out there?" She asks, turning around, gesturing towards the tent flap with a hesitant gaze.

"You are missing the meet and greet, deary." Rumple states sarcastically, nonchalantly waving his hand, conjuring a chair for him to sit while he continues, "Our rescue party has been relaying the details of our...situation, to their younger selves. Trying to alleviate the rising nerves caused by our presence." His eyes shift around the tent, and Regina never has been able to read him well. She has always been aware and mindful of that fact.

Robin moves to stand beside her, placing his hand to the small of her back, lending her comfort, support, whatever she deem necessary to take. She tries not to let his thumb, the one tracing the bare skin of her back, distract her from the topic at hand.

"No doubt the presence of the dark one and the evil queen is fueling the rising tensions." Regina implies, crossing her arms in front of her chest defensively.

"On the contrary. You seem to have them quite convinced you can be trusted." Rumple's lips lift into a smirk, "Or, at least you have a certain outlaw quite convinced, and since he is the leader of most of those rejects…" Rumple does not finish his statement at the glare sent to him by Robin beside her. "Well, lets just say, they seem willing to help, rather than kill us."

"And do you think they _can_ help us?" She eagerly questions because if anyone always has a plan, something up his sleeve, it is the man sitting before her.

"Perhaps. They are deliberating as we speak. We'll see what comes of it" Regina can tell that he has a thought, something he is holding back, and she will let him for now. She will wait, see what they come up with before demanding more answers from Rumple.

"I suppose I shall take my leave," he rises from the chair, his gaze meeting Robin before finding Regina, "I heard talk of food being prepared. You should eat something, deary. Regain your strength, you'll need it."

Robin escorts the older man to the tent flap, holding it up for Rumple to make his exit. Regina turns toward the chair, her back facing Robin as she lifts her hands, palms face up, inspecting them curiously.

"I did not need him to do that. I'll have use of my own magic soon enough. As soon as this stupid root leaves my system." Regina says flicking her fingers, watching sparks ignite before dimming out of existence.

A frustrated scowl marrs her features as she makes attempt after attempt of calling forth her magic until she feels Robin's calloused hands rest on her shoulders before smoothing down her arms, taking her hands in his and pausing her ministrations. The scowl on her face immediately morphs into a sly grin. The way the simplest touch of his fingers to her skin has her body tingling with desire makes her wonder what else those fingers could make her feel, or if she could even survive the extent of sensations he could cause. She imagines he can probably sense the direction her thoughts have taken, but she doesn't have to ask whether his have traveled a similar road. His next statement is answer enough.

"True. I have no doubt how capable you are." he states reassuringly, wrapping her arms and body in a tight embrace. "But...If he did not heal you, then I would not feel comfortable putting you through any," Robin nuzzles his nose into her neck and hair before continuing, "activities that could cause you further injury. And right now, I'm not sure I'm capable of holding back from said activities." Regina spins around in his arms until she is facing him, looking up with a smile. Without her heels she is so much shorter, and she welcomes the warmth and protection she feels being held in his strong arms, staring up into his eyes.

"Then I guess you can be forgiven," she responds, bringing her hand to his chest, allowing her fingers to walk a path up to the top button of his shirt, fiddling there, "as long as you don't hold back that is."

Robin does not disappoint, taking hold of her with the passion both have been containing for weeks. Every ounce of desire and want bubbles to the surface between them, and Regina feels like a teenager, feels out of control, because she cannot remember the last time she felt her body demand the touch of another so strongly. She thinks the answer is never.

His hands grip her hips tightly pulling her body into his, morphing the two as much as possible with cloth barriers present between them, something Regina is hoping to rid them both of quickly. His mouth smashes on hers and it feels messy, full of uncontained want, and she does not mind it one bit because she asked him not to hold back. His tongue finds her open lips before teasingly searching her mouth, dueling with her own in unrestrained intensity.

Her arms wrap around his neck of their own accord and she runs her fingers through his hair, holding his mouth steady to hers, and she is not sure she ever wants to let him remove it from her lips, but then he lowers it to her chin, then her jaw, and she decides she can live with this, she can allow it because, damn, he can do things to her with that mouth, with that tongue, and it feels amazing as he finds an especially sensitive spot just below her earlobe.

The ripples of pleasure surging through her have her hips thrusting into his, moving reflexively with desire, and when she feels his own need for her, solid and sturdy against her hipbone, wet heat pools between her legs as he moans against her neck. She wants this, wants him, has for ages, so she will take him, she will take him right here in this tent because he wants her just as badly, and she cannot think about anything else.

"Robin." Just a whisper escapes her mouth. Her hand moves back to his chest, then back up, scraping her nails across his clavicle until she finds his jaw and forces his mouth back to hers. She greedily devours his lips, her hand tugging lightly at his hair, nails leaving marks on his scalp, hips continually rocking against him. He allows her assault on his mouth, succumbs to her tongue's maneuvers, while launching his own assault with his hands. He begins groping, gripping, and exploring every bend of her body, moving from the curve of her ass up to the peak of her breast, his thumb gliding over her nipple causing it to stiffen instantly while the other hand finds the exposed skin of her back, her zipper still lowered.

A moan escapes into their joined mouths, and she can't be sure if it originated from her or him, but either way, the sound drowns out everything around them, so neither of them hear the opening of the tent flap, neither of them notice that they are no longer alone.

Someone clears their throat, and Regina opens her eyes confused, because she is almost certain the noise did not come from Robin, and absolutely sure it did not come from her. They move apart swiftly, faces flushed, lips swollen, eyes searching for the source of the sound. Shock overtakes her expression as she finds herself staring directly at Robin, not 'her' Robin, but 'past' Robin, his expression mirroring her own with his jaw dropped and eyes wide.


	14. Chapter 14

**I hope you like it! This chapter gave me some trouble. I'm thinking of adding an M-rated chapter eventually, but I don't know, I might suck at writing something like that. Let me know what you think.**

Chapter 14

Regina is almost never at a loss for words, but at the moment, arousal still swimming in her veins, both Robins glaring at one another and staring at her, confusion and shock covering every expression, she is most definitely at a loss for words. Awkwardness quickly settles into the moment, expelling any bit of passion that had remained. Lucidity slowly returns to her brain, and she finds herself nervously clearing her throat, eyes searching the dirt floor, while she reaches for her zipper to close her dress.

"I...ah, I just wanted to let you know the meal is ready." The younger Robin states nervously, also searching the suddenly very interesting dirt floor, "the dark one said you would want to know." At that comment, Regina wants to scream, run from the tent and rip out the imp's heart. She should have known his healing powers would not be offered so freely, no doubt, his own amusement at her situation, his payment.

"Of course. We'll be right out." Robin responds from beside her, seemingly the only one not completely disarmed by the situation. However, Regina notices as his brow furrows, apprehension coloring his face, and she moves her gaze back toward Robin's past self, to see what has caused this change of expression. The younger man's face is covered with a disapproving scowl that makes Regina cringe, his eyes glaring at 'her' Robin, as he opens his mouth to speak.

"Perhaps it would be better if you come along now." Regina finds herself cringing even more at the tone of 'past' Robin's voice. She feels like a teenager being scolded by her father, and this is definitely, without a doubt, the oddest predicament she has ever found herself in, _ever_. She does not risk another glance at either man, the air in the tent suddenly stifling, suffocating. She slips her shoes on and grabs her coat, pulling the protection over her arms, as she slips through the tent flap, both men following closely behind.

"Mom!" Relief floods her body, and she has never been happier to see her son, his presence drawing her away from the awkward mortification threatening to drown her. "Are you alright? Robin said you were injured." He states, looking at her, concern and worry on his features, and she does not think she will ever get used to having him care for her, having him show concern for her. It had been so long, him despising her for being the evil queen, her trying to redeem herself, losing him, and finally, finally her son loves her again, and her heart feels a million times stronger, even more resilient if it is possible.

"I'm fine, sweetheart," she assures, trying to alleviate her son's anxiety with a smile, "but I am hungry, and eager to share a meal with you." Placing her arm over his shoulder, they guide one another toward their little group, slightly separate from the others in camp. David is speaking animatedly with his younger self and Snow, while Emma stands stiffly, arms crossed, wearing a thoughtful expression. Rumple is just walking away from the group as her and Henry arrive, sending her a wink and smirk in reply to her scowl and narrowed eyes.

As Henry and her close the distance between themselves and the others, Snow glances their way, and sends Regina the biggest, most naive smile she has ever seen grace the other woman's face, which is saying a lot when it comes to Snow.

"Regina." Snow greets, but it comes out like a sigh, like a breath of relief, causing Regina to take in a deep breath herself before offering a curt smile and a tense nod in response. Snow is looking at her like she just found a long lost friend, and she supposes, that is probably how her stepdaughter views the circumstance. No doubt, when Snow looks at her, she sees that young, hopeful Regina who saved her life once, a long time ago.

While the others greet her with their own stiff nods and strained smiles, Henry tells her he is going to go get some food for them, and Regina takes advantage of the moment to look over her shoulder, seeking out the men that had followed her from the tent minutes ago. Both men stand near the fire, accepting bowls of sustenance, with matching frowns and glares occasionally finding one another. It stumps her what could be causing such upset between them. Certainly, the situation in which they find themselves is quite awkward, uncomfortable, but this is not just discomfort. The younger Robin stares angrily toward his future self with a mild sneer, and the truth of the situation hits Regina, like a ton of bricks, knocking air from her lungs, replacing oxygen with disappointment. He is angry with himself. Of course, it makes sense, he must be angry that he would allow himself to be with her, to be with the evil queen. Shocked that he would ever choose to be with a woman like that, like her. She can't blame him. She doesn't blame him.

His behavior is confusing to her though. She wonders why he seemed more trusting of her than anyone else, and yet, he seems to detest the idea of a future relationship with her. Maybe the thought of her saving his son, and protecting his camp allowed him to tolerate her, until of course he saw his own future, saw them together. After all, befriending the former evil queen and passionately groping her are two entirely different things. She is pulled from her self-loathing thoughts by the conversation taking place in front of her, and Regina tunes into the discussion just in time to hear Emma speak.

"Maybe we should just take a break for now. The sun is going to set soon, and we are all tired and confused." Emma shifts from foot to foot, frustration evident on her face making it clear she is speaking about herself when she says tired and confused. Regina understands the feeling, and is not surprised that Emma is drained from performing such a powerful spell earlier. Clearly, 'the planning' has been just as tiresome, seemingly with no results as of yet.

David studies his daughter with a concerned frown before responding, "yes, a fresh perspective in the morning might be just what we need." The visible relaxation that takes place between the people in front of her has Regina momentarily stunned, finding it odd that they can be so comfortable around each other. She probably shouldn't be surprised, they are 'the charmings' after all.

"Alright," Snow adds, "we will all get some much needed rest tonight, and in the morning we will gather Robin, his men, and both of our groups to work on a strategy." Snow then turns to Regina, taking a couple tentative steps in her direction, sending another welcoming smile, before gesturing to a log behind them being used for seating, but vacant at the moment.

Looking at Snow, then to the log, then back again, Regina finds she is unsure of how to respond. In their future, Snow and her have come to terms so to speak, have an unsteady but blossoming relationship, but here, this Snow knows a completely different Regina, and although her stepdaughter holds a hopeful demeanor, Regina feels the need to be cautious. She decides it won't hurt to sit with the woman, and she does not want to alienate anyone in the camp when she has so few confidants as it is.

As the two women move and settle on the fallen tree, the others saunter away, presumably to get food and rest. Charming still lingers, far enough away to be out of earshot, but close enough to come to the rescue of his wife, fiance maybe, Regina can't remember what they were at this point. Just as Snow is about to open her mouth, Henry returns, bowl of soup in his outstretched hand.

"Here Mom," he says, handing her the bowl, "I already ate." After glancing between her and Snow, Henry visibly comes to a mental conclusion and says, "I think I'll go check on Emma. I'll see you later, ok?" She gives him a knowing smile and nod before watching him move in the direction of the tents.

"He seems like a wonderful boy." Snow says from beside her, and Regina turns back to find the woman eyeing her with contentment. They have all been filled in on 'who's who' from her little rescue party. Her identity is known to everyone now. She is the former evil queen and Henry is her son, but her tale of redemption is the last thing she wants to discuss with this woman.

"He is." Regina declares, begins ingesting spoonful after spoonful of the broth Henry had brought her, hoping that sitting next to Snow would not include more conversation. She realizes her assumption is incorrect when she sees, from the corner of her eye, Snow's mouth open and close, her face filling with determination. This woman is not going to keep quiet for long.

"I am happy for you Regina." The words have her turning toward Snow, confusion knitting her brow, wondering what Snow really wants to talk about, so she asks.

"Snow, what is it you want to discuss?" Regina questions, she figures it is best to just get this over with, stop delaying the inevitable with small talk.

"I," the woman pauses, "I want to know," Snow looks directly into Regina's eyes before continuing, "do you ever forgive me?" The way her stepdaughter says the final words, so uncertain, so contrite, has Regina's heart clenching, her lungs burning with need for air. She feels an extreme need to comfort the woman, to provide a warmth she never before granted her stepdaughter, not since Daniel.

Regina's hand lowers from the bowl she holds, warmth still resonating from the heat of her soup, and it is almost impulsive, like an instinct, an invisible force guiding her limb until it rests securely on Snow's hands, clasped on her lap. A gasp escapes the other woman's mouth, and Charming turns, startled, until he takes in the sight before him, and quickly looks away, giving them privacy.

Snow's eyes had lowered, looked away from Regina as she finished asking the question, but now they seek her out again. Regina meets Snow's watery gaze before taking a deep breath, expelling a sigh, and answering the woman next to her.

"Yes Snow," She tightens her grip, squeezes her stepdaughters hands lightly, and continues, "_We_ forgive each other."

Snow releases a heavy breath, "Oh Regina!" Her name flows from the other woman's lips like a sob, and Regina feels uncomfortable, doesn't know what else she can offer this woman. She does not know what to do, and this is not a situation either of them should have ever been placed in, but Snow seems to sense her discomfort, and thankfully, the other woman straightens and contains any burgeoning emotions.

"Thank You." At that response, Regina removes her hand from Snow's and tries to suppress her own emotions, her own thoughts, and focuses on the world in front of her instead of the woman beside her. A task she finds easier than expected when she hears a high pitched laugh float through the air.

A grin grows on her lips with the sight of Roland, on the other side of the camp, playing happily with a few of Robin's men. A chuckle leaves her mouth mirroring the boy's light hearted giggle, and her eyes search the crowd around the fire for his father. Her smile falters once she finds him, still looking just as irate and offended as earlier, still glaring at 'her' Robin. Rejection overwhelms her, and she feels revolting, vile, her soulmate is disgusted by the mere thought of being with her. The tension dancing between the two men is overwhelming, and Regina's breaths come faster, her blood pumping in her ears.

"I'm going to check the perimeter." She declares, rising from the log, setting her bowl in her place and quickly retreating without waiting for Snow's response. Dipping behind the tents Rumple had conjured, she moves beside the shimmering white cloak protecting the camp, only pausing her steps once she is completely out of view. Her lungs fill with air, and she slowly tries to breathe deeply, to calm her nerves.

Faces of both men still assault her thoughts. Regina is sorrowful knowing that Robin is ashamed, angry that he, his future self, would ever deem to be with the evil queen. She has thought it herself. Knows she does not deserve him, and she wonders what he sees in her, hopes it is his choice, and not just fate, not just his destiny to love a monster.

Her thoughts do not dwell on the matter long, being pulled from her thoughts by heavy footfalls behind her. She sighs with a slight smile tugging at her lips because she should have known he would follow, should have known because he always seems to find her. Needless to say, she is startled when she turns to find, not 'her' Robin standing before her, but his younger self, staring at her intently.

Here it is she thinks, the moment it all comes crashing down, the moment this man asks her to save him from himself, the moment he will ask her to stay away from him in the future, to prevent him from continuing on the path his older self has taken. She nervously sweeps a hand through her hair, combing it into place, as if an orderly appearance could hide who she is, who she was, and the atrocities she has committed.

"You and me, we?" He questions, gesturing with a hand between them, looking for confirmation that the actions he observed earlier, were in fact, exactly what he is thinking.

She nods, eyes dropping to the ground, her mouth pursed shut while she gnaws at the inside of her lower lip in worry.

"That is how you knew Roland? How you knew his name?" He moves closer to her, his gaze still powerful, eyes wide and searching.

"Robin," she starts, his name coming out as a breathy sigh.

"Is that why I feel this way?" He questions then, looking down slightly, guilt coloring his face as he takes another step to her, only inches left between them. Her brow furrows in confusion. She is not sure what he means, what he feels, other than anger, perhaps, disgust with himself for being with her. She allows her eyes to find his, tries not to cringe under his heavy stare.

"What do you mean?" She needs him to elaborate, needs him to be direct, crush her heart and get it over with quickly, but instead he moves forward again, only half a step of space still between them, and he closes it. His arms come around her slim form, seizing her in a solid embrace before his lips crash to hers, forceful, but soft and familiar.

She does not respond, frozen in shock and completely bewildered. She can feel his emotions pouring forth, and suddenly it dawns on her that he is not angry with his older self, he is not loathing their future relationship, no, he is jealous, confused, and he is still grieving his wife, yet finding himself drawn to Regina, drawn to her because of fate, because of destiny, and now she understands his question.

Oh how she wishes she could be his comfort, wishes she could be a balm for his grieving heart, that she could soothe his pain, but this is not meant to be, Robin suffered alone. He had his son, had his men, but he suffered his grief alone, and became the man he is, 'her' Robin, because of it. She is not meant to be here for him, not yet, and although it fills her with agony, she pushes him away, removes his lips from hers, and tries to focus, regain her grasp of the situation.

"I am sorry," he says brusquely, but his voice carries a hint of arousal she knows all too well, and she does not dare look up because she is not certain she has the willpower to decline his advances. He is not 'her' Robin, but he is the same man, and she feels just as drawn to him as she is his future self.

They stand there like that, catching their breath, her hand pressed firmly onto his chest, sensing his heart, the steady and fast beat, keeping the small distance between them. Once she has regained her strength, her sanity, she lifts her head, immediately regretting the decision, and pinching her eyes shut at the look he is sending her. His eyes are filled with longing, pain, desire, need, and she hates that she can't offer these things, that she cannot be his solace. She wants to offer these things.

Regina steps back, forcing Robin's hands to fall from her waist, and she turns, facing away and opening her eyes to the glimmering cloak surrounding the camp.

"I...I wish I," a frustrated sigh leaves her as she tries to come up with words. Robin, both of them, seem to find her at a loss for words more often than not, an uncommon occurrence, and she is beginning to find it very disconcerting.

"Robin, trust me when I say, I will fix this. I will fix all of this." She turns back to the man, thinks she owes him this, to at least look in his eyes, "You won't have to be confused, or feel this way for long. Once we are all gone, it will be like we were never here to begin with, you'll forget everything." She pleads with him, begs him to see that things will be better, things will be how they should be, but he just shakes his head, frowning.

"I am not sure I want to forget everything milady." His hand swipes across his forehead nervously as he continues, "from the moment I saw you I have felt a pull, felt drawn to you, and for the first time since my wife died," Robin's voice breaks, and he takes a moment, looking down before making eye contact again, "for the first time I've smiled, truly smiled without regret floating in my mind, and a moment has passed without guilt gnawing at me, without guilt tugging me down until I'm drowning." He steps toward her again, and Regina has no where to go, she can't back up, she is pinned between him and her cloaking spell, and she allows his embrace, she allows him to draw any comfort he can while it lasts.

"Robin," She breathes in his scent, just like 'her' Robin, he smells the same, "we will have our time." He loosens his hold on her, stepping back just slightly, just enough to see her without removing his hands from the small of her back.

"Yes. I suppose we will." He looks down again, between them now, watches the rise and fall of their chests, only inches apart, "sometimes it's all about timing, aye?" Regina feels her heart pound in her chest, his words bringing back memories of a time that seems so distant, but in reality was only days ago.

Robin steps back from her then, giving her freedom and space. He looks forlorn, solemn, and maybe she shouldn't, it is probably a bad idea, but she can't seem to stop herself before her hands lift, resting on either side of his face. She closes that space he just offered her, takes a step forward in turn, and brings his mouth to hers. It is a tender kiss, not full of want, and overwhelming emotion like their previous one, but gentle, and compassionate. It is a goodbye, and they both know it, it tastes of finality.

She pulls away then, turns her body from his, as she says, "Until we meet again." He sends her a sad smirk in reply, and she has to keep reminding herself that he will be fine, has to keep telling herself to walk away, and that is exactly what she does. She leaves him standing there, lost in his own thoughts, his grief, and the confusion he never should have had to feel.

Darkness has crept into the sky, the sun almost completely set, so she elects to leave the perimeter check until morning. After all, it was all a pretense to get away. One that failed miserably. Instead, she strolls back to her tent, moving passively, practically crawling, until she arrives at her only source of solitude in this place, this time.


	15. Chapter 15

_I'll apologize ahead of time for the lack of outlaw queen in this episode. I had to move the plot along a bit, and wanted to get some other character interaction in there, but I really miss writing Regina and Robin together. Don't worry though, the next chapter will be full of them, lots and lots! I promise ;) Otherwise, I hope you enjoy this chapter for now. Thanks for all of the wonderful reviews! Some of you have great ideas, and have inspired me as I go._

**Chapter 15**

Restlessness streams through her body and mind. Inside the tent she finds herself sitting, just sitting in that chair Rumple had conjured as time passes, thinking about the mess she has made. At first, the situation hadn't seemed so grim. She was determined to make a memory potion for Robin, and his men before finding the dark one, and returning to her time, but now, now so much has happened. So many people are involved, and days have passed instead of hours. With a final sigh, lifting her body from the chair, she knows she needs to talk to Rumple. That imp will tell her what he has up his sleeve if she has to force it from his throat.

At that thought, that moment, a spark ignites in her hand, and looking down she is shocked to find a small flame hovering above her skin. A smile forms on her lips as she stares wide eyed at the light before extinguishing it, closing her eyes, and finally allowing her magic to spring forth. A cloud of purple and white surrounds her, and she supposes her magic will never be the same. No longer can she conjure pure dark magic. She is too filled with light, too filled with hope, and the thought makes the magic come forth even stronger, flowing more powerfully than she knew it could.

The smoke clears, and looking down, Regina cannot contain the self-satisfied smirk that appears on her face. She no longer has to deal with a lack of appropriate clothing. Her small frame is covered with comfortable black leggings, a long dark blue cardigan that will keep her warm now that the sun has moved below the horizon, and black calf high boots, gorgeous but sturdy and comfortable. A sigh of relief leaves her mouth. Controlling her magic, all of her magic again, makes her feel strong, powerful, safe and invulnerable.

"Mom," Henry speaks from just outside her tent, "can I come in."

"Yes Henry, you _may_." She finds it silly that at this moment, when so much has happened, she is still a mother correcting her son's grammar, and he appears at the tent flap with a smile on his face, a smile for her, that she returns ten fold.

"Are you feeling better? You looked really tired earlier." Henry questions.

"I'm feeling much better, Sweetheart." She states moving to wrap her arm around his shoulder, and plant a kiss on his temple. "I even have control of my magic again, see?" she says waving her hand, and a fog of her magic hovers in the middle of the tent before clearing, leaving behind a comfy looking mattress.

Henry smiles, then teases, "Mom, it is not really camping if you have a bed in your tent. You're supposed to use sleeping bags."

She chuckles and smiles at her boy before responding, "I've never been one for camping Henry."

"Mom," her boy starts, looking sheepish as he continues, "I am going to stay in a tent with Emma and Grandpa tonight, if that is ok with you?" His gaze returns to hers, questioning insecurely.

She can see he is worried about hurting her, concerned for her feelings, and if she is completely honest she is hurt. She had hoped he would want to stay with her, be with her, it has been so long since she has shared the company of her son, but she understands. She spotted Emma on her way back to the tent earlier, and the blonde was looking quite distraught, definitely anxious about their current predicament. Unlike Regina, Emma has not mastered the art of building walls and masks, and their son can see clearly how upset the woman is feeling.

"I understand Henry," she says reassuringly, because she does, and she won't be selfish with him, not anymore, "we'll have plenty of time together when we fix all of this." Now it is his turn to reassure her with the tightest hug he has ever placed around her waist, burrowing his head in her shoulder before responding with 'we will' and 'I love you Mom'.

Moments later she is alone again, but feeling lighter, less burdened than she has in days. A thought crosses her mind, and she lifts her coat and scarf from the chair, throws them over her much more appropriate attire and steps from the solitude of her tent into the brisk night air. The fire burns bright several yards away, and there are still many of Robin's men, and Snow and Charming's group rustling about.

In the distance she spots Robin, 'her' Robin, she thinks, his hair looks a little lighter at the temples, and then she is certain when she recognizes the man next to him, his younger self. Great, she thinks to herself, the man she is dating and the man she kissed only minutes ago, talking with one another. Technically they are the same man, but Regina is not sure she wants Robin to hear that she kissed his younger version from the man himself. She intended on telling him herself once they found themselves alone again, soon she hoped.

Watching the two men interact feels peculiar, odd and out of place, but it puts her mind at rest. Their conversation seems friendly, pleasant, playful even, and when she sees a little Roland pulling into 'her' Robin's lap her lips draw into a content smile.

"Be careful, deary." The voice of her former mentor meets her ears, and then he is standing beside her. "Your mask is slipping."

She turns to him with a roll of her eyes and pursed lips, "Actually, I was just coming to find you."

"Oh, and to what do I owe the pleasure?" He asks in a way that makes her think he knows exactly what she wants.

"I know you have a plan, a thought." She corrects, because if he had a complete plan he would have voiced it already. "The idiots are in over their heads with this, and you and I both know that you are the most well versed in magic, especially dark magic so what exactly is swimming around in that head of yours?" The smug smirk drops from his lips at her questioning, bringing her a small measure of satisfaction.

"Follow me." He states, turning to walk toward one of the other tents without waiting for her reply.

She follows. Her only hope at the moment is that this man will have a useful strategy. Plenty of thoughts and ideas have popped into her head, but she has discounted almost all of them due to either lack of ingredients for the potions and spells of such magnitude or lack of know-how.

They enter the tent Rumple deemed his own, and she is immediately overcome by the sight that meets her. If Henry thought she was cheating at camping, he should see this. The space inside the tent is far larger than it should be, like she just walked into another world. On top of that, the tent is filled with not only a bed that looks fit for a queen, but rugs on the ground, chairs and a table. It really is ridiculous, she thinks. After all, why would he need half of this for what is hopefully only going to be an overnight stay.

"I see you've made yourself comfortable." She steps further into the tent and takes a seat on a plush chair near the table.

"As have you." He states gesturing toward her change of clothing, and Regina finds herself sitting a little straighter while sending him a glare.

"Well?" She questions eagerly. "I assume you brought me here to discuss your plan of action."

He nods at her, takes a few steps to her left, until he too is settled into a chair across from her, "I have an idea, but," he pauses to look at her, emphasizing the word 'but' causing her to quell her excitement, "I am not sure if it will work, and if it does...there could be...consequences."

"Like what?" Her brow furrows, the anxiety that had slipped her mind earlier returning fully. "What do you have in mind?"

"I am not sure," His hand moves to the table, his fingers splaying across the surface. "There could be no consequences, but...no one has ever done any of this before, so, there is always a chance there will be a price. I know how to reopen the portal, how to send us back, but that will not repair the damage done now that you have been gallivanting for two days with people who were never supposed to meet you." He says staring at her pointedly, but before she can open her mouth in defense he continues.

"Rather, my thought is that we open a portal, and firstly fix what has happened. We make sure you never meet these people. Then we can open another portal to reinsert ourselves back into our respective time and place."

"Am I understanding you correctly?" She questions snidely, because he makes all of this sound like a simple step by step process, but creating several time portals does not seem easy to her, "You want to open a portal that will bring us back to the moment I arrived here, in this time?"

"Yes. Once there, we can wait for your arrival through the original portal and send you back immediately. Before Robin and his men have a chance to take you captive, then all of this, will never have happened."

"Ok, but won't that remove us immediately back to our timeline?" She says pensively. After all, if she never set forth on this path to begin with, then all of them should no longer exist in this time and place.

"Perhaps, but more than likely, we will remain until we use the wand again, opening portals that will embed us just where we should be in time."

"Ok...but how do you know this will work?" Her fingers have found their own way to the table next to her, tapping nervously while she awaits his reply.

"Well, deary, that's just it, I don't know if this will work." He says it so simply, and it reminds her of when she was his student, he her mentor. The way he makes this all seem so obvious. "As I said, this has never been done before. I am confident that we can use the black fairy's wand again to reopen the time portal, but whether everything can be returned as it should be," his eyes fall from hers, "that I cannot say."

"We'll tell them the plan in the morning." She says looking to the rug beneath her feet, getting lost in the pattern. "All of us will need to cooperate for this to work."

Rumple nods again, the atmosphere feels oppressive, burdening, and Regina stands with an urgency, a need to get out of this space overwhelming her. She does not say a word, just slips quietly from his tent, watching the ground as her feet meet with it. When she had first seen Rumple here with the others, she immediately felt relief, she was certain he would know what to do, and as it turns out, she was right. He does have an idea, but even he lacks confidence in whether or not it will work. The initial comfort, the reprieve, she had found at the sight of his presence, now chokes her with a foreboding panic.


	16. Chapter 16

**My first attempt at writing a sexy scene is at the end of this chapter, BUT it is not required reading for the rest of the story for anyone who wants to skip it. Otherwise there is plenty of non-sexy outlaw queen interaction in the first part of this chapter :) I hope you like it. Thanks for all the reviews, favs and follows! I love getting them, and it really keeps me writing. I'm hoping to wrap this up before season 4 starts, so hopefully the updates will keep coming.**

Chapter 16

She needs to see Robin, feels a desperate pull to have his arms around her. What if things change, what if they have already had too much of an affect, and somehow they never find each other in their time? It seems like a long shot, that her entire relationship would change because of this, but she has never had much luck in love, and at the moment all she wants is to spend every moment she can holding the man she is slowly admitting she loves, her soulmate.

As the fire comes into view, she spots Roland in the arms of his father, but 'her' Robin is no where to be seen. Her heart plummets, throat constricts, but slowly calmness seeps into her skin, through her flesh, as she watches the man holding his son. Even if he is not the exact man she sought, his presence seems to have the same soothing affect on her. A discontent sigh escapes her mouth as she turns back to her own tent, the solitude she'd been searching for earlier, now feeling more like a daunting loneliness.

It is dark in her tent now, her hair falling in front of her face, sheltering her eyes, as she looks down to her hand and conjures a lantern. Letting the tent flap fall closed behind her, a shiver chases through her body, and suddenly she is very glad she will have a bed with numerous blankets covering her tonight to maintain warmth.

"I see you have regained the use of your magic." A voice states from inside her tent, hidden in the darkness. At the sound, Regina's lips turn up into a smirk, an exhale leaving her lungs, taking along her worries. She needs this man, relies on him more than she'd like, because he makes her feel like maybe, maybe even she can have a happily ever after.

She lifts her head, her hair moving softly away from her eyes. Summoning forth her magic, she evokes the light in her hand to burn just a little brighter, and float into the center of her tent, hovering and landing on the chair Rumple had conjured earlier, blanketing the entire space in a dim blaze, casting shadows that dance with the flame.

"It is." She responds, smiling at the way he grins and sucks his lower lip between his teeth. Robin is sitting on the bed, and she wonders if he has the same notion as Henry, if he thinks she is cheating in some way by having a bed rather than a sleeping bag. The way he sits there now, absorbed in the plush mattress, she thinks he must not mind it at all.

"I heard," he starts speaking, breaking eye contact briefly before continuing, "that you had an interesting...encounter with my former self." His eyes find hers sending a pointed look.

Her brown orbs fall shut, and she shakes her head, almost imperceptibly before responding, "I planned on telling you." She says, leaves it at that while she walks toward him and sits on the edge of the mattress beside him. His clothing is more relaxed now she notices. He has removed his boots, jacket, and scarf, settled on her bed comfortably. This must be a good thing, the fact that he doesn't look like he is ready to rush away from her, but rather looks content to stay. "Are you upset?"

"I do not doubt you Regina." Robin responds solemnly. "I trust you would have told me, and I cannot find it in myself to be upset at either one of you." His hand finds the top of her thigh, giving her flesh a reassuring squeeze through the thin layer of material separating skin. "After all, he is me, I am him...how can I be upset that you are drawn to me, all of me as it were, past, present, and I hope, future." A smirk lifts his lips again triggering his dimples before he continues, "and I certainly don't blame myself. I mean, you are irresistible."

Another squeeze to her thigh as Robin compliments her causes a small smile to form on her face. She already feels less insecure, less anxious about their situation, about Rumple's plan, and she has only been with this man for minutes. The way he can so easily reassure her, has her stomach fluttering, and emotions surging.

"True." She mutters in a simple response, not trusting that she won't spill forth her feelings for this man like a broken dam if she does not keep her mouth closed.

"Honesty, it seems like you did the man a world of good. He can see past the grief that is weighing him down, believe that one day, when the time comes, he can love again, will love again. He can have a second chance. You gave that to him, gave that to me." Robin states with a grateful expression coloring his face, love and compassion simmering in his gaze.

"Too bad he won't remember." Her hand finds his cheek, the rough stubble brushing the skin on her fingers, and a sad smile tugging at her mouth.

"If it takes me forgetting you in order to find you once again, so be it. You are worth the wait Milady." His grin widens, a gleam in his eye, and the look on his face causes her stomach to flutter and her heart to beat faster, rushing blood through her veins.

The words he speaks fill her soul with happiness. She truly cannot believe this was meant for her. He was meant for her, and although she will never regret her past, never regret the path that led her to Henry, she is sad. She is sad that she missed out on so many years with the man in front of her. The hand she has placed on his cheek glides over his face to his hair, to his neck, then to the back of his head before she pulls him to her, closing the distance, and pressing her lips to his. It is a soft kiss, gentle, promising, and he pulls away slowly looking satisfied and content.

"Where were you just now?" he questions casually, opening his eyes that had closed briefly during their kiss. "I have been waiting in this very comfortable bed for quite awhile." The playful smirk remains on his lips, and she wishes he wouldn't do that, wishes his lips would get tired, because that smug look of his is quite distracting.

"I wanted to see Rumplestiltskin." She states, the smile playing on her lips turning down into a frown as she is pulled from distraction to reality. "I believed he had a plan in mind for returning us home and fixing this disaster."

"And does he?" Robin questions earnestly.

"Yes." Her hand falls away from him, down to his own still gripping her thigh. "I am not sure it will work." She says candidly, a look of concern washing over her features, knitting her brow. "I'm worried that our future might be affected in some way. I'm worried it could affect us, what we have." The hand she laid on his squeezes snuggly, reassuring herself that for right now, at least, he is still with her.

"Regina," he begins, but she cuts him off at the look of hopefulness in his eyes.

"Please do not say you will always find me, we are _not_ the Charmings."

"No. Luckily, we are not, but I do believe what we have is destined." He pauses, taking the moment to turn his hand on her lap, entangling their fingers in a comforting grasp. "When we met in the enchanted forest, I felt connected to you. At the time I thought I related to your grief, but then, after forgetting one another, we came together again in StoryBrooke." A smile graces his face as he silently reminisces in front of her. "And now here," he chuckles, "my past self can't stay away from you either," his eyes move from their joined hands to meet her gaze, "and you seem drawn to him as well."

"Robin," she starts with every intention of contradicting him, but closes her mouth. They both know what he says is true, and it does not upset him, not in the least.

"We are meant to be Regina." He stares at her pointedly, his gaze searing into her soul. "I hope this plan of the dark one's does not alter our time, but if it does, if somehow we do not meet as we did, or find each other the same way, I am certain of one thing," Robin turns his body to face her full on, his hand moving from hers, each of them lifting to her face, her hair, "we will meet. We _will_ have our story Regina. We are meant to be."

"Thank you." She raises her arm, splays her fingers across his chest, feeling his muscles flex below the thin fabric of his tunic.

"So, when are you planning on discussing the plan with the others?" Robin asks, and she is grateful for him lightening the moment, distracting her from the concern dragging at her mind.

"Tomorrow morning. Rumple will fill everyone in on his strategy, and hopefully, they will be willing participants." She responds calmly.

"Well then, it seems we have tonight, Milady." He says, his voice switching to a seductive tone.

"Yes. It would appear so." She nods her head, a chuckle escaping through her smiling mouth.

"Why are we wasting our time talking about Rumplestiltskin?"

Robin's eyes lower to her lips, then lift again as his tongue slips across his lower lip, his teeth gently nipping at both, "Alas, let me rectify the situation."

**This chapter can end here or continue reading below for Robin/Regina sexy times. None of the section below is necessary to read for the rest of the story. (M-RATED)**

The sound of Robin's voice, deepened from lust, has her skin smoldering, but the feel of his tongue meeting her's causes the heat to rush past her skin, through her tissues, fizzling into her bones. Her growing arousal warms her entire body while she still shivers at his touch, his hands moving against the skin on her neck, entangling in her hair.

Her own hands find their way behind his neck, arms embracing him, pulling him impossibly closer to her until she lays on her back, body pushing into the mattress with his weight above her. Robin's leg nestles between her own, causing a glorious pressure between her thighs, and another just below her hip where she can feel his growing erection.

Their mouths continue exploring each other, and she thinks that this will never get boring, the feeling of his lips on hers, their tongues dancing. Her breath hitches as the hand not still twirling her hair glides across her neck, lowering between the valley of her breasts, before Robin lifts himself, pulling away slightly with a frustrated sigh.

"You are wearing far too many layers." He declares, a raspy edge to his voice, as he pushes the jacket and scarf from her shoulders. Regina lifts into a sitting position to be completely rid of the material while Robin moves completely off of her, settling on his knees on the ground in front of her.

Quickly, he rids her of one boot, then the other before his hands journey up her calves, find her thighs. His gaze returns to hers as she sits on the mattress in front of him, and the heat in his blue depths forces an ache into her body, screaming for him to touch every inch of her skin.

The next minute passes in a haze, lips crashing, tongues dueling, hands pushing and urging clothing away. She has his shirt removed rather quickly, but then finds herself captivated with the way his tongue twirls and tickles at the delicate skin of her neck. While she is lost in pleasure, he is able to remove her sweater, as well as the layer beneath until she sits before him in nothing but her bra and leggings.

His mouth greedily lands on the valley between her breasts as he lavishes open mouthed kisses to her chest. His tongue trails the line of her bra causing her nipples to pebble and harden in anticipation. Regina swiftly removes her hands from the man in front of her, unclasping the bra, and lowering it from her shoulders, eager to feel his soft caress where she needs it most. Robin does not disappoint, his lips lowering to her breast almost immediately, sucking her nipple into his mouth.

A strangled moan slips past her lips, and her eyelids flutter shut, her back arching, increasing the contact between them. Luckily she is lucid enough to recall where they are, and just how little privacy they truly have at the moment. With a wave of her hand, a wisp of purple and white leaves her fingers.

"What was that?" Robin questions pulling back from her breast, brow furrowed in confusion, his eyes still darkened from excitement.

"A sound proofing spell," she manages between panting breaths. His hands have found their way to the waist of her pants, fingers bent beneath the band on either side of her hips, and she is having trouble thinking clearly.

His lips form into a wide smile, dimples growing even deeper. It seems he very much likes the affect he has on her, and he does not waste another minute of their time together. He swiftly pulls down her pants along with her underwear in one hasty movement, only pausing to push her onto her back and lift her slightly to aid in the removal of her clothing.

There she lays before him, completely exposed, and although the air is chilly surrounding them, she does not take notice, not when his gaze his searing her skin so intensely.

"Regina," he whispers from his kneeled position in front of her, "you are beautiful. So beautiful."

Now his hands follow the same path they previously traversed, up her calves, up her thighs, but his touch is more gentle to her naked skin. The way his fingers glaze over her flesh, the way his eyes follow the curves of her body up to her face, meeting hers. It makes her feel cherished, loved, in a way she has not felt ever in her life.

"I love you Regina. All of you," he says, eliciting a small gasp from her lips, "and I will spend every moment of the rest of our lives showing you, as long as you let me."

She hadn't expected this, hadn't expected a declaration of love, but the words leaving his mouth do something to her. She can feel her heart clenching, burning, and she is sure if she were to pull it from her chest at this moment it would be the reddest she has seen it in years, darkness fading underneath the love that surges in her veins. She knows it is crazy. They have only been together for weeks. Have had a tumultuous relationship from their first meeting in the Enchanted Forest, but none of it matters because no matter how crazy it seems to her logically, she knows she feels the same.

Robin does not give her a moment to respond, his lips finding the inside of her knee as her breath quickens. Air leaves her lungs in quick pants as he slowly, almost torturously, kisses his way up her inner thigh, moving nearer and nearer to where she is wet and waiting for him. Then he is is there, tongue darting between her folds, tentatively at first, testing to see what she likes, what she wants.

His hands glide slowly toward her core, spreading her further until his tongue is circling and flicking over her clit, and her back is arching, mind spinning, heart beating rapidly ready to burst from her chest. This feels so good, his tongue feels so good.

She fists one hand into the bedding beneath her, allowing the other to travel across her stomach, passed her navel, resting in his hair, gently grasping. Moans and whimpers are coming freely from her mouth between the gasping and panting breaths. His tongue is amazing, and if she thought she was sad before at missing years with this man, she is even more sad knowing she could have enjoyed this all that time.

His licks have steadied into a glorious rhythm, his mouth occasionally sucking at her, and she is so close to coming, so close to the edge, the precipice of pleasure waiting for her to topple over, and then she feels a finger swipe through her folds just beneath his chin. Slowly he pushes that finger to her entrance, deep into her, stretching her slightly, and the hand in his hair switches from gentle grasping to harsh tugging and pulling as sensation overwhelms her. He pumps his finger into her a few times before adding a second, thrusting deeply inside, angling just right to hit that perfect spot.

His tongue continues licking and lapping at her, fingers pistoning in and out, pushing her higher and higher. Her muscles clench and tighten before releasing and tensing again as she falls over the edge. A moan and whimper of his name leaves her mouth as she pushes at his head and shoulders, his mouth still working her core, fingers still finding that spot, and it is suddenly too much as she is gasping for air to enter her lungs.

He slows his ministrations before finally removing the contact of his tongue and lips from her wet center, allowing her to breath, come down from her high as she seeks out his form, devouring him with her aroused gaze.

He is still in front of her, standing now, and she watches him lower his own pants, the last article of clothing separating them gone, his throbbing erection evident. She eagerly moves up the bed, inviting him along with her. Robin kneels in front of her on the bed, slowly bending over her, capturing her lips in a passionate kiss as she brings her legs to wrap around his waist. They feel exceptionally heavy and limp, muscles relaxed and loosened from her lingering orgasm.

Robin's lips lower from her mouth, caress her jaw, nip at her ear, and she is no longer patient. She finds she cannot wait any longer to have this man inside of her, wants to feel him thrusting and shuddering above her so she moves her hand down his chest, glides her nails across his stomach before encircling the tip of his length in her fingers.

He gasps at the touch, her name slipping passed his lips like a prayer, and she lifts her head to meet his mouth with hers while she guides him to her entrance. He glides into her tantalizingly, slow at first, waits until he has filled her to the hilt before he releases the breath he has been holding against her neck. He remains still for a moment, and she is grateful, focuses on the delight of having her muscles stretching and pulsing around him.

Regina begins rocking her hips, telling him she is ready, a silent plea to continue, and he does. He pulls back and thrusts forward, gently at first, his movements languid and slow, but then he picks up pace, and she is already close again. Her body quivering with anticipation of another orgasm. He hikes her knees up, position them in his elbows as his thrusts become more powerful, and the angle he finds is just right to have him probing that spot inside of her with each rock of his hips. Her hands are clawing his shoulders, his back, and ribs as she bites lightly at his clavicle to muffle the moans coming from her mouth.

"Regina, I cannot last much longer." Robin murmurs into her ear, his hand moving between their colliding bodies, using his thumb to tease her clit with increasing pressure at each thrust.

"You feel amazing." She whispers into his mouth as she captures his lips in another searing kiss, and normally she would be embarrassed by her blatant vulnerability, but not with him, not with Robin.

As it turns out he does not need to last much longer because with another thrust and a harsh brush against her clit she is clenching around his length, tightening and gripping, until his motion becomes irregular and a feral growl leaves his lips. He thrusts into her one final time, her muscles still clenching, milking him inside of her.

They are both panting, sweating, limbs wrapped tightly around the other. In his arms she feels safer than she ever has in her life, and she is not afraid, she knows they will not be separated.

He lifts his head just enough so he can view her face, and she finally lets the words escape her mouth, words she has feared since she first knew she could feel them again, "I love you."

A smile mirrors her own, and they don't move. They stay like that, draped in eachothers arms as Regina conjures a blanket to lay over the top of them.


	17. Chapter 17

_Here it is! Sorry for the longer wait with this chapter. I had some difficulty with it, and I was distracted by my AU outlaw queen fic 'Doctor'. I hope this is worth the wait ;) Oh, and one reviewer was confused why they wouldn't just give everyone a potion or curse them to make them forget, but I hope this chapter explains that. Another reviewer wondered why they were worried about the plan because if they go back and prevent Regina from ever meeting them, then everything should go back to how it was so why would there be any doubt. In my mind, that is true, things hypothetically would go back to the way they were, but I think in their positions they would still be anxious especially since this has never been done before. I hope that answers those questions, and if anyone has anymore please don't hesitate to ask, and let me know you want a reply :) Otherwise, enjoy the chapter._

**Chapter 17**

A blanket of darkness covers the camp. Noises and sound fizzle down to occasional animal call and the whispering of the wind. Regina is laying in Robin's arms, contentment washing over her entire being as sleep pulls her down, pulls her toward a dreamworld. A quiet cry sounds somewhere in the camp, tugging Regina from the fuzziness about to take her, and she startles awake, holding her breath and listening for another sound.

Moments later, her patience is rewarded with a few muffled whimpers, and another voice shushing, a whispered sound. Regina slowly extricates herself from Robin's arms, heavy with sleep, and quickly pulls on her leggings and his tunic. The smell that is uniquely Robin fills her nostrils, calming her, relaxing her instantly as she moves to the tent opening and steps into the brisk air.

The fire at the center of camp burns dimly, only tended to by the men on duty, still checking the perimeter, regardless of the cloak keeping them safe and unseen. She hears the noise again, whimpering and shushing, followed by a muffled scream that sounded a lot like 'no'. The whole thing sounds vaguely familiar to her, reminds her of a time not so long ago when she was the one shushing. Her feet move of their own volition across the ground, heading to a tent a few meters away, the only tent with a light, casting shadows on the inside.

As she arrives, her hands move to the entrance of the tent, gently touching, but she pauses before lifting the flap, clears her throat, and decides it is best to announce her presence before entering.

"Robin?" Regina finds herself suddenly aware of just how cold it is tonight, outside the comfort of her tent, outside the warmth of 'her' Robin's body pressing against her flesh. She shifts from foot to foot trying to move her body, keep blood flowing, brushing her hands along her biceps, rubbing vigorously to produce friction and heat.

He comes to the tent opening an instant later, holding the flap up, surprise pulling his eyebrows upward and widening his eyes.

"Regina, Is everything alright?" He questions, his brow knit with concern, clear to see even through the exhaustion he seems to be fighting.

"Yes. I'm fine," she reassures, "but it doesn't sound like Roland is."

"No," Robin sighs, the hand not holding the tent open rises to brush through his hair, then finding his chin and the back of his neck where he massages the tense muscles. "I'm sorry he woke you."

"No need to apologize." Regina continues shifting from foot to foot, and now, as Robin has not invited her in, she is questioning whether it was a good idea to interrupt this man and his son, "Is he alright?"

"Yes. I'm afraid he seems to have been woken with a nightmare, and he is always difficult to calm afterward." Another tired sigh escapes Robin's lips, his blue eyes look heavy with sleep. "He does not want to go back to sleep because he is afraid the monster in his dream will come again." Robin explains.

"I remember when Henry was that age, he was the same way, but," she pauses, unsure of what boundaries are present, what lines she should not cross, "well, may I come in and try to help?"

"Yes," Robin instantly becomes more alert, almost shocked with himself, "of course, please, come in from the cold, you must be freezing." Now that he is less sleep addled, Robin also seems to notice that she is not wearing her own shirt, but a man's, comprehension dawning on his features. A small smile follows the realization, accompanied by a look of longing, that tugs at Regina's heart.

"Roland, Regina is here to see you." Robin paces a few steps further inside the tent, closer to his son.

The boy looks up at her, his face lifting slightly from his nest of pillows and blankets, tears still lingering at his cheeks. His lower lip quivers slightly, but he has stopped whimpering, his eyes wide, and he seems quite determined not to let them close anytime soon. Regina smiles reassuringly to the boy, taking a few steps further into the tent so she can kneel beside him and speak to him in a whisper.

"Roland, your Daddy told me you had a bad dream?" Her hand wipes away one of the plump teardrops settled on his cheek.

He nods, his curls shifting on his head with the movement, and she is still amazed at how much hair this boy has at only 2 years of age, Henry was bald until he was this age. Her hand brushes back a lock that has fallen over the boy's forehead as she continues speaking reassuringly.

"Can I tell you a secret?" She receives another nod in response. "Sometimes I have bad dreams too, but when I do, I just read a story and it makes me feel better, safer. Would it be ok if I read you a story Roland."

Roland quickly nods again, eager to stay awake and focus on something else, rather than have to try and sleep, and he points toward an aged book at the corner of the tent. Robin retrieves the item, handing it to her, his fingers lightly brushing hers and a familiar spark nips at her skin. Looking up, she meets Robin's eyes, finding that the familiar spark she feels doesn't go unnoticed by him, but she is used to it, has felt it every time she touches her soulmate, but it is new to Robin, and the heated way he looks at her makes her body quiver.

Turning back to Roland, the tension in the tent dissipates, and she smiles at the boy before climbing into his bed of blankets and nestling him to her side. The boy opens the book for her, finding the page he likes, most likely because it is one of the few with a picture, and she reads to him, a tale of a gallant knight and the princess he is destined to rescue.

It only takes a few minutes, just a short distraction from his nightmare, for Roland to be fast asleep, his head resting peacefully at the crook of her neck. She closes the book, handing it to Robin, taking care not to brush his fingers again. She slowly, but expertly extrapolates herself from the warm cocoon of blankets and little boy, turning back to brush hair from his forehead once more and pull one of the blankets up just under his chin. This is so nostalgic for her, she remembers moments that were so similar with Henry, and she can't prevent the watering of her eyes as she gazes at the boy. It does not matter anyway, if there is anyone she is comfortable enough to show her weakness it is Robin, even this Robin, even though he does not know her like he will, she still trusts him, it comes naturally, something that has frightened her in the past, but now gives her solace.

A hand rests on her shoulder, pulling her from her reminiscent daze. Turning around, Robin's eyes meet hers, a powerful gaze, meant to say more than words, and she smiles at the man before her, hoping it soothes his grieving soul a little, hoping he finds it reassuring in some way.

"Thank you, Regina." He says earnestly. "Sometimes I am at a loss of what to do for him. I...I feel like a failure as a father." Now his eyes fall downward, a heavy distraught tension filling his expression, his entire demeanor.

"No Robin," she assures wholeheartedly, "you are a wonderful father. You have both suffered a loss, but you love Roland, and he loves you." Her hand lifts to his chin, brushing against the rough stubble, before guiding him to meet her eyes again. "Toddlers are difficult, especially when you are alone." She remembers how difficult it was raising Henry as a single parent, and she knows Robin has his men, she knows they are helpful and love Roland, but it is not the same.

He offers a small smile in response, and she can see that her words have not convinced him, but have given some comfort, enough hopefully.

"You are a good mother Regina." His smile widens, a little confusion pulling at his face at the same time. "I, it is so strange, but I feel grateful, knowing that you will be in my life." He shakes his head, and she knows the surreal situation they are in is almost laughable, but the two of them just smile at each other, and she revels in his compliment.

They step from the tent quietly, sure not to make a sound that could wake Roland, and he walks her back to her own tent. He did not need to, it is not very far, incredibly close actually, which is why she even heard Roland in the first place while she hung in the space between wakefulness and sleep. As they walk, his arm comes up to rest upon her shoulder, pulling her into his side, removing the chill from the air around them, replacing it with the heat she always feels with Robin. She does not fight the comfort, allows the pleasurable warmth to surround her, both of them, before they have to say goodnight.

* * *

A dim light filters into the tent, morning has arrived, and the camp is already alive, filling with the sounds of men and women languidly moving about, sleepy bodies joining the sun in wakefulness.

Regina stretches her arms above her head, arching her back while reveling in the warmth provided not only by the heavy blanket above her, but also the heated flesh of Robin's chest against her shoulders. A grin pulls at her lips as she remembers the night before and she turns in his arms, her gaze lifting to his face.

She wakes him with a kiss, chaste, but lingering and soothing to her soul. His lips respond beneath her own, and when she pulls her head back he is smiling at her, an expression of love on his face, but also a look of nagging concern.

Today is the day, the day they go ahead with Rumplestiltskin's plan. This morning, everyone will meet and discuss strategy, and Regina and Rumple will explain his idea to them, explain why they need to move quickly, explain why it is the only way.

Robin's thoughts must follow her own, that look of concern worsening as her own face surely fills with hesitancy, a longing to remain in this bed with Robin and never leave. Instead, the two of them rise slowly, loathing the loss of contact, and she finds herself dressing in the clothing she conjured only yesterday as quickly as possible, just so she has a little time to stand in the tent, in his embrace for a minute longer, gathering strength before braving the bustling camp.

When the light of the camp greets her eyes, Regina squints them shut briefly. Not only is the sun bright today, but the cloaking spell seems to be shimmering even brighter as well, illuminating the entire camp in bright white light. They find Rumplestiltskin and the others at the center of camp, around the fire, already burning brightly, while they discuss what lay ahead.

"I don't understand. Why is it so important we lose our memories?" Snow's voice resonates between the group, grunts of agreement coming from many of Robin's men. The younger woman sits casually on a log, very similar to the last time Regina saw her, only this time, Emma and Henry are perched beside her with Charming standing just behind.

"Because this is not what was supposed to happen." Regina states, briskly closing the distance between herself and the group, a tone of annoyance bristling her voice. They should have waited for her and Robin before starting this discussion. Joining them at the fire, Robin only a step behind her, his hand warms the small of her back, calming her as she continues, "We still have our memories of the past, and none of this ever happened. You and Robin were not meant to meet yet," she clarifies, speaking directly to Snow, "you were not supposed to meet me." Regina adds, her gaze directed toward Robin's younger version before glancing at each person surrounding the fire.

"I don't understand why you have to go to all this trouble." The younger Robin says, "why not just use a potion on us, or magically make us forget, why prevent everything from happening to begin with, why risk more time travel than necessary." It is clear in his eyes that Robin's younger self shares her concerns, is worried that something could go wrong with this plan.

"Because," her former mentor interjects, irritation coloring his voice, "other things were supposed to happen the last few days, other people were supposed to interact. That has not happened because of our presence here." he explains, his gaze traveling amongst the group like a teacher perturbed with his students. "We have to repair the last couple days and the only way to do that is to go back, and prevent your meeting from ever taking place." The older man finishes, gesturing between Regina and Robin's younger self. "Besides, the amount of necessary ingredients for a potion that could serve this many people, does not even exist."

Regina looks toward Rumple, her face a mask of suspicion, he knows more than he is letting on, knows what should have happened, during this time, but she does not care, does not see how it could affect her any differently. The plan is sound, it is the most likely way to prevent any changes to their past, present, and future. She does not want to risk losing Robin.

"Even going back, sending Regina back to her time immediately, before meeting any of you, still the timeline could be affected." Rumple continues, pacing next to the fire, "The fact is, none of this has ever been done before, hypothetically, everything should be fixed, return to how it was, but there is no guarantee, no way to know for sure that this will work." He finishes dejectedly.

"Well it sounds like we just need a little hope." Snow says looking at all of them, letting her eyes linger on Regina before finding Emma beside her. Snow is aware that Emma is her future daughter, and Regina cannot imagine what it is like for the woman, to look at a grown woman, a woman your own age, and know that she is actually your child. "After what I have witnessed over the last day, I have more hope than I've had in a long time." Snow's hand finds Emma's, the blonde's eyes lifting to her mother, then seeking out Regina, looking determined and set.

"Are you ready?" Emma questions, and Regina responds with a single nod. She does not trust herself with words, not right now. She is confident that she can do this, that they, together, can do this, but doubt still lingers, worry itches at her brain, that somehow something will go wrong.

"You will yield the wand, deary." Rumple states, pulling her from the concerned thoughts drowning her mind. "Whomever yields the wand and performs the spell will be shielded, protected from the change of time. Until, of course, you use it to place yourself back into your own time, when you ask it to send you home."

Regina nods solemnly. She finds some solace in the fact that she will have a semblance of control in this hectic plan.

In the end, she is glad they had not waited for her before discussing Rumple's idea. This way she did not have to endure the endless questions and concerns that must have been voiced while the dark one explained his strategy, step by step. Even still, joining the group after the plan was completely understood, there are pensive glances, concerned faces, furrowed brows, and she is grateful to have avoided the full brunt.

They all linger around the fire a bit longer, munching on some dark hearty breads. Silent goodbyes hang in the air, odd bonds, friendships even, forged regardless of time, relationships never meant to be, that soon, will not be. Roland plays near Henry, 'past' Robin joining them in their youthful chatter, the three of them together make her heart tighten and surge with affection. 'Her' Robin sits beside her, his hand still comforting, resting at the small of her back, rubbing soothing circles. Charming, David, Snow and Emma are all huddled closely on the log, smiles and laughter passing between them, content in sharing this moment while it lasts.

She hadn't noticed Rumplestiltskin slip away, had not felt his absence. She didn't even realize he was gone until he returns, interrupting the Charming clan briefly, before walking toward his tent. The strange family reunion that had been taking place came to an abrupt halt, concern once again adorning each face while Snow slowly stands from the log. Charming quickly halts her, placing his hand on her shoulder, but the brunette turns to him, reassures with a smile, before walking away, heading for Rumple's tent.

Regina stands herself, confusion and worry tense on her face, moving around the fire to question the people standing there, watching Snow White lift the flap to the dark one's tent and enter.

"What was that about?" Regina asks hastily, gesturing toward the tent.

Emma snaps out of her daze and responds, "I don't know. He whispered something to her."

Regina is about to make a sarcastic quip, determined to angrily stomp to the tent and demand answers from her former mentor when the flap lifts again revealing both Snow and Rumple, exiting the tent. Snow has a stoic look on her face, somber even, and how Rumplestiltskin caused this woman to completely flip emotionally, Regina cannot fathom. Minutes ago, Snow was smiling, hope spilling from her mouth, and now she is silent and distressed. Regina cannot help but think how her past self would be envious of the dark one, and his talent for upsetting her arch enemy in a way she always wanted to.

"Rumple, What is going on?" She questions demandingly, as the two return to the fire.

"Nothing of your concern, deary." His only response.

Her mouth opens with a retort just as a shout sounds from one of Robin's men. A young man she does not recognize runs toward them quickly, coming to a stop in front of Robin. The man breathlessly explains that Roger, another of the men, is no where to be found. Apparently the other man, a new recruit to the merry men, and not well trusted, must have packed his bags after breakfast, then slipped through camp until out of sight, and through the cloak, retreating into the woods.

Robin releases an exasperated sigh, reluctantly looks toward his future self, no doubt silently questioning and wondering if this had happened to him, if he had already dealt with this same situation in his time, but 'her' Robin looks confused, worried, stunned even, and she tries not to let the look on his face unnerve her.

"It doesn't matter." She declares to all of them, for the ears of each person surrounding her. "We will leave now." Her gaze flits to the younger Robin, "Soon, none of this will have happened, and it won't matter what this," her hand gestures toward to woods beyond the cloak, "person, has planned. He won't remember any of this." She turns to the others, solemn expressions staring back at her, and each of them nods her way, acknowledging and accepting that now is the time, now they actually say goodbye.

**I love your reviews and follows/favorites are appreciated. I hope to finish the story by the premiere (only two weeks - Yay!)**


	18. Chapter 18

**Wow. I really didn't think I would get this up tonight, but I wrote a lot this afternoon and evening so here it is. :) Enjoy, and don't hate me, remember, this isn't the end.**

Chapter 18

Emotions swirl through her, climb and scurry under her skin, twisting her mind into a blurred mess. The camp is eerily quiet, the men and few women that are present are somber, despondent, and Regina finds it funny how only a day earlier most of the camp would have been rejoicing at being rid of her, being rid of the evil queen, but now, they will only be rid of the protection she has offered, their memories, and the last few days. It will all be yanked away from them along with her and the others-so desperately out of place and time.

A sigh leaves her lips, and she finds herself pensively searching the ground, as if the dirt beneath her feet could provide her with the comfort and certainty she seeks. The plan is simple, remove the cloaking spell from the camp, just in case the protective magic would also provide protection from a shift in time, that would be very inconvenient. Then Rumple will place himself, her, Emma, Henry, David and Robin all back to the location in the woods where they came through the original time portal. Once there, Regina can use the wand, conjure a time portal that will carry them all to a point just before her original arrival, and repair everything by conjuring a return portal for her past self immediately.

Hypothetically, once the previous version of herself is sent back through the time portal, she should be the only one that remains in the woods. The others should all be returned to the original timeline, the magic in the wand will only protect _her _from the alteration in time and no one else. None of them would have ever felt the need to come rescue her, and therefore, they should return unharmed, while she remains and conjures a new portal for herself, a portal to take her home, that will restore her own presence in time.

It all sounds so clear, so simple, but she can't seem to shake this feeling of foreboding, the air heavy around her, stifling. A hand lightly touches her bicep, a gentle brush of fingers to her arm, and she knows without looking that it is Henry. Meeting his eyes, he smiles at her, a warm reassuring expression, something she needs, she uses for strength, and she returns his smile with a grateful look of her own.

"Are you ready, Mom?" He questions, Emma coming up behind him, placing a hand on his shoulder, sympathetic eyes finding her own.

"Yes." Then her smile falters, her lips slip into a determined line. "Come Miss Swan. Removing the cloaking spell is far easier than casting it." She guides the blonde toward the edge of the camp, halting inches from the shimmering cloak, letting her hand pass through it before pulling back.

"Give me your hand, then just concentrate on taking deep breaths as we bring our joined hands up to the cloak, understand?" Regina questions, grasping the woman's fingers in her own.

"Yes." Emma states, a look of determination and strength in her eyes Regina has recognized in her own son's face, and it is peculiar seeing the familiarity between the two, makes her think that perhaps it won't be so hard to continue getting along with Emma, as long as she sees Henry in the blonde's expressions.

Their hands meet the cloak a moment later, a tingling sensation creeping from the shimmery brightness up their flesh, traveling into their skin, flowing like blood through their veins. It doesn't particularly hurt, removing the cloak, but it also is not pleasant, but luckily, the tingling only lasts for a few seconds. The cloak, a protective barrier that took all of her energy to conjure, even with help, has vanished from existence in a matter of seconds. How curious it is that protecting something is so difficult, but leaving something unprotected is so simple.

Dropping their joined hands, Emma looks confused for a moment, most likely also shocked by the simplicity of removing something that was so challenging to conjure.

"Well, I guess that's it." The blonde states, and Regina bites her tongue, wants to tell the woman that she does not need to state the obvious, but she won't, holds the attitude back, at least for today, for right now.

Emma turns, walking the same short path that brought them to the edge of camp, and Regina gives the trees one last glance before spinning on her heel, finding their group complete in the middle of camp, waiting on her, and 'past' Robin holding his son only a couple yards away. Regina's feet move beneath her slowly, quiet against the soft dirt and grass of the clearing until she stands in front of the man and his boy.

"Goodbye Robin," she tentatively lifts her hand to his, squeezing lightly as she turns her face to the boy secured at his hip, "and goodbye, Roland."

"Bye." The boy says with a wave of his hand and a smile on his face. He is so innocent, does not understand that saying goodbye, in this case, really means goodbye.

An arm wraps around her waist, two smaller ones grip at her neck and hair, and it takes her a moment, just an instant, to grasp what is happening, to understand that she is being held in a tight embrace by her soulmate and his son. She breathes in deeply, absorbing every sensation from this contact; the way it feels, the way it smells, she swears it even tastes like happiness, and she revels in this as her own arms find their way around two of the greatest loves of her life, two people who will creep into her heart without permission and save her from the grief of losing her son, from the fear and insecurity in herself, in her goodness and light.

"Until we meet again, Milady." Robin whispers in her ear, his breath moistening the skin at her neck and fluttering her hair, causing a shiver to run down her spine.

She pulls away, smiles, and tries to ignore the sadness, the longing present in Robin's eyes, turns to 'her' Robin to seek solace in his contentment, and she finds faith that his pain will not be long, they will find one another again, as sickenly 'charming' as it makes her feel, she knows they will always find their way to each other.

She begins closing the distance between them, 'her' Robin holds his hand out to her, waits patiently for her to join him and the others, an empathetic gaze glued to her face, and as soon as she grips his fingers, as soon as she turns her head for one last look at Robin and Roland, her eyes spotting Snow and Charming standing beside him, a 'good luck' leaving the other woman's lips, a suffocating cloud of magic surrounds her, fills her senses with the dark one's power, whisks her up and around, pulls at her, until she lands on her feet again with the others, the camp no longer present.

* * *

"Alright, deary," Rumple is the first to speak, his eyes pinned to Regina in expectation, "no sense in wasting time." They have returned to the location where she first entered this time, the trees and plants oddly familiar, fuzzy in her memory from the moment she passed out surrounded by Robin and his merry men of the past.

She takes a step forward, letting Robin's hand fall back from hers, a comforting squeeze before he releases. Rumple pulls the wand from inside his jacket, passing it to her, and she pretends the ominous atmosphere that swallowed her whole the moment she was pulled through Zelena's original time portal, she pretends it does not engulf her entire being.

"Well, well, well," a voice comes from behind them all, a deep chuckle filling the air, "what do we have here?"

Regina knows that voice, recognizes that voice, has used that voice herself, because after all, she was this woman, she was the evil queen. Her lips open with a gasp, and her lungs won't function, won't breathe in the air she desperately needs, and when she turns, she sees that the others are already facing the woman.

"Some imbecile told me a fascinating story, something about," the evil queen takes a step forward, searching for words, "time travel, but we both know that is impossible. Don't we Rumple." Now the queen focuses only on the dark one, like they are the only two present, at least the only two that matter.

"But when, this man," the queen's face contorts with disgust just mentioning the peasant, "mentioned the dark one, I didn't need to hear anything else." The queen continues, taking another step, eyes locked on Rumple, "I wondered what you could possibly have planned. Why you would have a woman impersonating me." Now the queen's empty brown eyes find Regina, scrutinize her from head to toe. "She is not a very good fake if I say so myself. You could have done better."

The insult does not phase Regina. She assumes the 'imbecile' that went to the queen is Roger, the missing merry man. After all, he is the only one who would have known of their plan, the only one who could have told the queen where to find them. He stayed for breakfast, listened to their strategy, before slipping away through the cloak to betray them. Regina vaguely wonders why, why this man would do such a thing, but she does not need to wonder. She knows the greedy and malicious side of human nature far too well.

"No one asked you, dear." Rumplestiltskin responds, moving even closer to the woman, to the woman she used to be, and Regina watches, amazed at how the man seems to slip into his enchanted forest counterpart, his behaviour and demeanor much more like the dark one than Mr. Gold.

"Of course not," The queen's eyes find Regina again, considering her, "and what is this, a wand?" The younger woman's eyes brighten as they catch sight of what Regina holds in her hand, an expression full of excitement and envy.

Regina conjures a fire ball in her free hand, more for intimidation than actual use. Killing her past self, well she isn't sure how that would affect them all right now, if she would just poof out of existence immediately, along with the evil queen version of herself, or if she would be able to go back and repair time, and never kill herself to begin with…ugh, this all seems so ridiculous to her, she really finds it quite annoying, ludicrous.

"I don't think so," Her former self declares with a chuckle, reaching out a hand, striding toward Regina, "what kind of cheap imitation are you?" A scowl covers the queen's expression, and Regina can feel her neck tightening, her trachea clenching, air straining to get through causing a sickening whistling sound. The fire in her hand extinguishes, and the wand falls as she lifts both of her palms, fingers splayed, to her neck, helplessly grasping at nothing but her own skin. Her mind is muddled, but she knows she can stop this, knows she has the power, but she doesn't get the chance before she sees an arrow soar past her body, aiming to hit the queen.

"Unhand her." It is a warning, words flowing past her from Robin to the queen, and the tightening on her neck subsides as the arrow sticks through the flesh and muscle of the queen's hand.

A scream travels through the air, and Regina is once again reminded of how much she hates her own scream, but she does not let the noise pull her to unwanted memories, rather, she rejoices in the fact that this time, it is not actually her screaming, but the woman she used to be. The noise not so much a scream of pain as it is annoyance.

Regina takes advantage of the distraction Robin offered, summons forth her magic, and tosses the evil queen to a nearby tree. She figures if they can just knock her out, bind her magic somehow, then they can buy themselves enough time to escape through the time portal. The woman hits the bark with a cracking sound, tree limbs and bark snapping at the unwelcome weight and force, but it only takes a moment for the queen's silhouette to disappear in a swirl of purple smoke. Regina searches their surroundings, spins herself around, looking to see if any of them spot the younger version of her.

It is Regina who sees the woman first. The evil queen appears behind Robin, in a cloud of purple, smirks over his shoulder at Regina before lifting one hand, clenching her fingers, and Regina knows what she is doing, has done this many times, and the plea leaving her mouth makes no difference, only causes the smile on the younger woman's face to widen as she twists her wrist, a cracking noise echoing through the forest while Robin's neck bends at an unnatural angle. Regina can feel her heart plummet, along with Robin's body, and she drops to her knees, only a few feet from her soulmate laying lifeless on the ground.

She hears a scream, doesn't even realize it is her own this time, the sound seems so foreign. She has always hated her scream. The unfamiliarity of this one is disappointing to her, it does not bring forth her past horrors, instead leaving her firmly in this moment, staring into Robin's lifeless blue eyes, and for once she wishes the horrible memories of her past would drown her, pull her away from the moment. Robin's eyes, how dull they seem now, only gone for an instant, and yet, his eyes seem like he was never there.

Her state of shock does not lift until hands grip at both of her arms, until she finds herself being lifted and pulled away from Robin, pulled from the man she loves, from her soulmate, from his lifeless eyes.

"Regina, Regina!" It is David speaking in her ear. He holds one of her arms, while Henry is holding her other, squeezing her bicep, trying to give comfort to his mother, but it only makes Regina cringe and sink further into despair, knowing that she cannot be strong for him right now, she cannot be the mother he needs, the mother he deserves when her heart feels like it has been crushed to dust inside her chest.

Looking up, her former mentor stands before her, alongside Emma. Between the two of them, stands herself, her former self, the evil queen. They conjured some sort of bind, and the woman seems to be a prisoner in her own body, staring, frozen at all of them, her eyes looking almost as lifeless as Robin's. The urge to torture this woman, the urge to destroy her, to see her burn up at her own hand, she is actually considering killing her younger self because the urge to submit to the darkness is overwhelming.

"Regina," Rumple interrupts her fantasy, and she debates sending him into a pile of ashes as well, "this won't have to happen. When we go back, and send you through the time portal, none of this will happen. The outlaw," he states, her eyes glinting with fire at the moniker, "Robin," Rumple corrects, "he will be fine." The imp's words have her swallowing down the homicidal tendency bubbling at the surface.

The smothering feeling, the foreboding from earlier, it all led to this moment, all led to the loss of her soulmate, and she wishes she would have paid more attention, wishes she would have left them at the camp and traveled here herself. At the time it seemed better to stay together, not separate, not send her alone, but now, well now Robin would be safe, he would not be dead, his body cold and empty on the ground of this forest.

Her body shakes, almost convulsing as she bends to retrieve the fallen wand, holding it tightly in her grasp to hide the trembling of her limb.

"Let's get on with this." She states, her voice flat.

**There it is. Please don't hate me. I promise things will get better. I hope you liked it! Please review :)**


	19. Chapter 19

**Thank you for reading and hopefully enjoying the story. Only a couple chapters left until it is finished. Hard to believe. Anyway, thank you for the reviews, follows and favorites because it is honestly what keeps me writing. Also, thanks to a guest reviewer who wanted some evil queen/Henry interaction. I hadn't planned on doing that at all, but I tried to fit it into the story, and I hope you enjoy it. Otherwise, enjoy. :)**

Chapter 19

An empty shell, a dry desert, abandoned and forsaken; this is how she feels. A part of her gone, broken beyond repair, and her heart settles, a pile of ashes in her chest, beneath bone and flesh that still pumps with blood regardless of how dead she feels.

She can't pull her eyes away. Her fingers clench, tighten and loosen around the wand, while David and Emma shift Robin's lifeless body on the ground. What does it matter, she thinks. If they are right, he will never be like this, does it matter, she isn't sure. David closes Robin's eyes, brushes his hand over the man's face, allowing lids to blanket over the emptiness present in Robin's blue depths.

Finally, she can look away, releases a sigh, a cold breath blowing past her lips, everything feels cold, and then she notices Henry, or rather, the lack of Henry. He was standing next to her, she is sure of it, but she has no idea how long it has been since she stood there, watching her soulmate, and now Henry is not next to her, well, that is debatable since he does stand next to her past self, next to the evil queen.

"Henry!" Her feet move quickly, rushing the few steps, closing the distance between herself and her son. "What are you doing?!" The concern in her voice only slightly lightened when she is close enough to set her hand on his shoulder.

"It's okay, Mom." Henry reassures. "Grandpa says she is basically frozen. She can't use her magic right now. She can't hurt us." His green eyes search her face, try to calm her in some way, and it almost works.

Regina's eyes linger across the form of the evil queen, standing as regal as ever, hands turned as if she had been preparing a spell just as Emma and Rumple trapped her, bound her. As her gaze travels the woman, scrutinizing her form and her face, it seems like she is aware, conscious of what is happening.

"What spell did you use?" She questions her former mentor, never taking her eyes away from the queen.

"It is a variation of what Pan used on all of you, when he - when I…" Rumple stutters, unable to put words to his death, his father's death, murder, suicide, whatever it was.

"But," Regina takes another step closer to the woman before her, "we were aware. We could see and hear everything."

"Yes, as can she." Rumple states calmly, bordering on emotionless.

Regina swallows the bile rising in her throat. The contempt and hatred she had held beneath the surface threatening to bubble over. Her nostrils flare, and her breath does not seem so cool now, rather it heats her skin, smoldering and scorching a path on her flesh.

"Mom," Henry's hand finds her shoulder this time, "Mom." Her son pulls her from the darkness, draws her back from the consuming rage, and she tears her eyes from the queen, manages a small smile for him, means it to be reassuring, but can tell it must look strained and unconvincing.

She turns away from the three of them, her younger version still visible in the corner of her eye, but now Robin holds the majority of her gaze once more. David and Emma have placed him so he almost looks asleep, almost, surrounded by the undergrowth of the forest, something he would probably like.

"I know you're the...evil queen," Henry's voice meets her ears, but she does not turn to him, gives him a semblance of privacy since he is obviously not talking to her, but who she used to be, "but to me, you're my mom, or are going to be." He sighs, and Regina drops her eyes, brow furrowing with unease.

"Sure, when I found out you used to be, well, you, I was angry, and only thought of you as evil, but I know there is more. You'll be my Mom someday, and I believe that at least a sliver of the woman you will become is present in you now." Henry pauses, and Regina can see his eyes search the ground for Robin before turning to the queen again.

"You only hurt yourself today, but luckily, my Mom is a hero, and she can fix it. I know she can. I'm sorry for what happened to you, for what made you this way, for the people," Henry pauses briefly and Regina notices in the corner of her vision that he moves his gaze from the queen to Rumple and back again, "who had a part in creating the evil, bringing you to the darkness. I just want you to know, even though you'll forget, none of this will really matter I suppose, but still, I want you to know I believe in you, that I love the hero you become," and now Regina can feel his gaze burning into her, so she obliges, turns her face to him, tears pooling, threatening to drop, "I love my Mom."

Now the smile she sends him is not so strained, more convincing, and she is starting to feel things again other than despair and rage. The love for her son is filling her heart, building it back up from the dust, and she is so grateful to her boy, so proud. The tears do not leave her eyes, desperately clinging to the lower lashes as Regina finds herself swiftly closing the distance between Henry and herself again, wrapping him in a comforting embrace. Whether it is for her comfort of his is questionable, perhaps for both.

Looking up, looking at the woman she used to be, it is impossible to tell if Henry's words have had any affect, and honestly, she can't bring herself to care. She is no longer this woman, will never be her again, and after sending one more glance to the queen, she turns away, determined to not waste a single word on her younger self. Rather, Regina tentatively steps closer to Robin, lowers herself to her knees beside him while David and Emma step back, giving her some privacy. Her hand finds it way to his, meeting on his chest, her fingers gripping and massaging the flesh of his hands, and the chill of his skin, the pale blue tint sickens her.

"Robin," she whispers, surprised she does not choke on his name, "I will make sure this does not happen to you. I promise you, we will have our time. I will get you back to Roland. We will have our happy ending. I love you." The tears finally move past her lower lashes, dropping on her cheeks, her sinuses stinging from trying to hold back the sobs threatening to be released. She lifts his hand to her mouth, turning the palm up, scrutinizing the black ink that had become a symbol of what they were, what they were meant to be always. She lets her lips caress the tattoo lightly, a semblance of a kiss, a promise, before setting his arm down beside his body, the ink still visible as she stands and steps back.

"What about her?" David asks, pulling her from her goodbye.

"We can't leave her frozen in magic, just like we couldn't leave the camp under the protection cloak. I will not risk this going all wrong because of _her._" Regina responds, the disgust in her voice palpable.

"Of course, deary. I have already procured and concentrated some of that detestable root and administered it to your younger self." Rumple says, as if it is obvious that he has already found a solution to the problem. "As soon as we are ready to step through the portal I can remove the paralyzation spell, and she will be without magic for at least a few hours, unable to prevent us from leaving, or cause anymore damage."

"Fine," she responds tersely, "then we shouldn't waste any more time." She lifts the wand in her hand, struggles to summon forth the power, not used to using a tool of this sort to focus her magic. She focuses on her emotions, just like Rumple had taught her, but now she has far more emotions to explore, more energy and strength to unleash. Her mind searches her memories, brings her to the moment she was pulled through Zelena's portal, focusing on the instant she left the barn and was tugged from her proper time into the past, into the forest.

At some point she must have closed her eyes, because now she can see light filtering through her closed lids, so she lifts them slowly, squinting again at the brightness emanating from the glowing portal a mere foot in front of her.

"Well done, deary." Rumple states, stepping beside her. "Now lets hope you did it right."

Regina meets his eyes with a roll of her own, "Go ahead." She says, gesturing toward the portal with a slight bow.

"I will go just before you, releasing the queen before I enter. You will have to leave last for the portal to remain open." He says matter of factly before turning his gaze to the other three of their group.

"Shall we?" David takes the hint, stepping forward, holding Emma's hand while she grasps at Henry's.

"Mom?" Henry looks at her, worry etching his young face, and a pang of guilt hits her hard.

"It's ok Henry. I'll be right behind you." She responds, and for the first time since she witnessed Robin's death, she thinks she sounds convincing, thinks her words don't sound empty and forced.

The three of them leap all at once, removed from this time and place, the portal devouring all evidence of their presence. Now only Rumple and herself remain, the pull of the portal in front of them almost overpowering. They exchange a troubling look before turning from the portal, facing the evil queen and Robin's lifeless body. Rumple's expression is earnest as her former mentor raises his hand, closes his eyes briefly, and the evil queen shifts, her body goes limp and she drops to her knees, before lifting her head and sending them an irritated glare.

"Goodbye Deary." Rumple says before stepping back through the portal, and Regina is not sure if it was meant for her, or her younger self, maybe both.

Regina only has a moment, only witnesses a brief instant of the the queen glancing at the man lying dead a few feet in front of her, but in that moment she can see the realization dawn on the queen's face. The younger woman has seen the tattoo, shock and confusion marring the expression on her face. And then, Regina steps back, lets the portal envelope her, consume her entirely, the last vision in her mind is of a single tear falling down the cheek of the evil queen, of the woman she used to be.

* * *

It is oddly familiar, yet drastically peculiar standing in this spot, the same spot she just watched Robin die, yet here that has never happened, not yet. With any luck, the woman she was a few days ago would arrive through the portal momentarily, and hopefully, will be sent back without too much argument. She is not very eager to butt heads with yet another version of herself. At some point while they've been standing here, Henry's hand found hers, and now the warmth from his palm grounds her, centers her, giving her strength, and more importantly, hope.

David is the first to notice it, the white glittering orb forming in the space in front of them, rapidly widening into a mature portal. Regina steps back, tugging Henry along with her, placing him firmly behind her, Emma coming up beside her. She looks to her right, and the blonde's eyes meet hers, concern evident in the woman's green orbs, before she nods, silently saying 'I've got your back', and Regina has never been more grateful to have this woman present. She knows if anything happens, Henry will be protected.

Time seems to stand still as the portal glows and spins before them, the light almost blinding, before finally a woman's form is flung to the ground, and the portal disappears as quickly as it had appeared, the only evidence of it's existence, the woman on the ground.

"Quick! Lift her." Regina blurts out, an idea forming in her mind. "I'll create the return portal immediately, and with any luck we can avoid any argument from," what is she supposed to call her, "me."

"That would be ideal." Rumple voices what everyone already seems to be thinking.

She sends her former mentor a pointed glare before lifting the wand again, invoking the magic to summon another portal, one that will return the woman in David's arms, her past self, to the exact point in time just after Zelena's portal had pulled her from the barn. It comes easier this time, doesn't require as much energy, and whether it is because she has already done it once, or because the magic from Zelena's portal still lingers in the air, she will never know.

The return portal stretches wide in front of her, and all of them take a few steps back, the dirt and plants beneath their feet being torn, ripped from the ground toward the gaping endless hole.

"What the…" Her own voice sounds from David's arms.

"Now!" She shouts to the man, indicating for him to send her former self through the portal immediately, and so he does. It is a bizarre feeling, watching yourself, but not yourself, confusion and anger evident on her features, being sucked into the abyss. There is a bright flash, different than their previous trips, something definitely has changed, and now, as Regina glances toward David, he no longer stands there, she is alone, all of them gone.

She knows this is good, this is what should happen. Hopefully it means that they were successful in returning her back to the proper time, and now no one ever needed to come rescue her, and if she had not wielded the wand at that precise moment, she too would have disappeared, tugged back into existence where she should reside. Instead, she stands here alone, knowing that it should comfort her, that the loss of the others should fill her with hope, but right now she only feels fatigued and desolate.

However, she knows there is no time to waste. It was not long after she originally arrived through Zelena's portal that Robin's men were upon her, so she lifts her arm once more, the wand shaking in her grip, her nerves causing her grasp to tighten even more on the object, before a flick of her wrist brings forth one more portal, the last portal.

"Alright," she whispers, "think of home." She steps into the portal, her mind fills with images; a baby cooing and smiling up at her, hugs and laughter from her growing boy, Henry, then Robin's arms embracing her, his lips finding hers, and before she can help it, an image of the Charming's surrounding a table at Granny's, all laughing and smiling while she holds baby Neal. She feels warmth, feels comfort, feels home, and then…

Darkness

**I have no beta - all mistakes are mine. Please take a moment to review and thank you for reading. :)**


	20. Chapter 20

_Thank you to everyone who has read, followed, favorited, and reviewed this story. I am so glad you have enjoyed it as much as I have enjoyed writing it. Sorry I did not get this last chapter posted before the premiere as I'd hoped, but better late than never, right? This is the final chapter, but I might post a sexy addendum eventually, but as far as actual plot, this is where it ends :) Enjoy. Oh, and to anyone who was concerned with the 'darkness' ending of the last chapter, don't worry. It was just a throwback to the first chapter, bringing us full circle and all that. _

Chapter 20

She is uncomfortable, her neck stiff and bent at a funny angle, her arm asleep and tingling beneath her body, and she is trying to remember where she is, trying to open her eyes and lift her head. When she finally gains control over her muscles, feels strong enough to move and shift on the hard, (ground, floor, she isn't sure which), she looks at her surroundings, her dark hair filtering over her vision.

It is the ground, the hard ground, she finds herself laying on, her arm squished beneath her until she slowly maneuvers her limbs into a more comfortable position, and she is able to use the arm she can still feel to lift herself onto her heels. Standing there, she can now see the run down building, hay at the walls, trenches dug into the ground in a pattern at the center of the structure. 'The barn', she thinks and she is trying to pull at her memories, the fuzzy faces and moments blurring in her mind, before hitting her in an instant of clarity.

The wind is knocked from her lungs when she remembers, she recalls it all, and Regina vaguely wonders why she can remember anything. Shouldn't she have forgotten? Shouldn't she have been placed back into the proper timeline with no recollection of her events in the past? She does remember though, and the arm that is numb has slowly regained feeling, her fingers still tingling, but holding something solid and cold, the wand. She thinks perhaps, somehow, the wand placed her in the correct time (she hopes), but because she was holding it, because she cast the spell, she still has her memories, memories that now, never happened.

Her breath catches in her throat, and her head spins with the memories. Pain fills her entire body, physical pain, at the loss she can still feel like it was real, because it was, she lost Robin. She killed him herself, and the thought of that recollection makes her stomach lurch. She takes a moment, steadies herself, breathes deeply, and forgets about trying to make sense of her memories, a history that doesn't fit, remembering two different lives, because in one world she was the evil queen, but never killed Robin, and in another world, she saw her younger self break his neck, can remember the sound like a phantom note playing over in her ears.

Regina looks around the barn, it is cold, just like it was earlier, but now the portal is not glowing, not ominous, and not tugging her toward it with an overpowering strength. Taking a few tentative steps, she tests out her legs, and finds that she can move, and the shoes she walks on are not broken, a memory of a younger Robin breaking the heels off her footwear brings a small smile to her face.

Robin, she needs to find Robin. She was supposed to be meeting him, and if everything is how she thinks, he would have left the party at the diner to bring his son to camp. Robin would have read Roland a bedtime story, and then been on his way to see her, to meet her, and tonight she wanted to share everything with him. A second smile forms on her lips as yet another memory of their time together in the past bleeds into her mind, but she pushes it aside, moves quickly through the doors of the old barn, the dirt beneath her feet being replaced with the pedals of her car.

* * *

She is panicking. Robin is not at her place, they agreed to meet there, and true, she is not sure of the time, not sure how long she had been unconscious in that barn, but something feels off. She could almost sense him at her house, yet the door was closed, the rooms dark and empty, an odd scent of forest lingering in the air.

Regina finds herself back in her car, and as she drives down mainstreet, Granny's comes into view, still bustling with activity from the party. Breath leaves her lungs and returns in a quick rhythm, almost the same speed as her feet hitting the ground to carry her from her mercedes through the diner door. Her eyes search the crowd; Leroy, some of the other short men, and at the back of the diner she spots Henry with Emma and the Charmings who look at her with confusion and worry marring their features.

"Regina," Snow moves to her first, baby neal snuggled close to the woman's chest, "what's wrong?"

Regina almost laughs, almost, because it is so preposterous, comical even, that this woman, the woman she has despised for the majority of both of their lives, is the woman who can read her better than any other. With one look at her face, Snow is able to see the concern and niggling worry Regina tries to cover with her usual mask.

"Have you seen Robin?" Regina questions calmly as Snow and the others walk toward her, settling into a booth.

Snow remains standing in front of her, scrutinizing her face before responding, "he left a little while ago," the woman states, sitting herself and the baby into the booth, "something about getting Roland to bed."

"Mom, can we talk for a minute?" Henry interrupts, and Regina pushes her concern aside, releases a quiet sigh, and sends a smile and nod to her son in reply.

However, it is not Henry who starts speaking. He looks to his left, his eyes finding Emma, silently asking for the blonde to begin.

"Henry has made it clear he does not want to go back to live in New York," Regina shifts on her feet at Emma's words, preparing herself, because she does not intend to give up Henry without one hell of a fight, "and I respect that." The blonde's eyes look from Henry to Regina, and she thinks she can see Emma relax, shoulders dropping slightly in relief at having this all finally said.

"As you should," Regina responds calmly, some of the tension in her own body easing, but still feeling the need to defend her position in Henry's life, "he is not only your son."

"Yes Regina, what I'm trying to say is," the blonde continues, her hands fidgeting at the corner of the table, "I don't have a place here yet, and I have some unfinished business in New York. Henry was hoping to go back temporarily so we can pack things up and take care of everything before we both return - permanently."

Regina looks hesitant. She can feel insecurity coursing through her veins, pulsing through her sending her toward panic, but her son's next words ease her mind.

"And I want you to come with Mom!" Henry's face lights up with a smile, and Regina quickly returns a grin of her own, but shock and wariness also color her expression, clearly readable to anyone.

"We would be there a week or two," Emma says before Henry continues.

"I could show you everything I loved about New York, and that apple tree that looks just like yours, and you could try the pizza, and the bagels, Mom it would be great. You could even bring Robin if you wanted."

At the mention of his name, Robin's hand meets the small of her back before gliding to her hip, resting there, and Regina lets out a breath she didn't know she was holding, looks at Robin and moves her hand to his chest, gripping the fabric of his scarf, feeling him, making sure he is real, unharmed. How he appears out of nowhere at the mere whisper of his name fascinates and frightens her.

"Bring me where?" Robin questions, sending her a smirk in greeting.

Regina smiles then, his voice a pleasant noise, reassuring her mind that he truly does stand next to her, the warmth she feels from his body is real and present, rooting her in the moment.

"New York," Henry replies quickly, "you would love it Robin, and Roland too. It would be so much fun. Grandma and Grandpa could come too, with Neal." Henry's excitement is thrumming in the very air around him, and Regina feels elated that her son wants to share his life with her.

"Oh Henry," Snow responds, holding baby Neal higher, "I don't think we'll be going anywhere for awhile."

"But I would love to come Henry," Regina interrupts Snow to address her son, "plus, I'm not too keen on letting you out of my sight again anytime soon." She leans forward, her hand moving from Robin's scarf to Henry's chin as she lifts his head slightly and places a gentle kiss on his forehead. Pulling away, her smile mirrors her son's, her eyes pool with unshed tears at her little boy, almost grown. The hand at her hip grips, Robin's thumb massaging lightly, comforting her, and a surge of gratitude for the man fills her soul.

"Well, it is getting late for us," David says rising from the booth, "I'll get the car pulled up."

"We should get back to our room and to bed early, make some plans for the trip back to New York." Emma says, a smile pulling at her lips.

"Ok, goodnight Mom. I'll see you tomorrow." Henry says to her as he rises from the booth with Emma.

"Goodnight, sweetheart," Regina gives him another kiss to the cheek before letting him pass her, and she is determined to do so as often as she can, afterall, he is growing up and soon won't be as keen on her affection.

"Why don't I get us a couple drinks before we leave." Robin states, his hand lifting to brush the hair past her cheek, over her shoulder. "Any requests?"

"How about that whiskey I still owe you?" Regina asks with a wink.

"As you wish, Milady." Robin nods to her, biting his lower lip briefly before sauntering over toward the bar while Regina sits across from Snow in the booth.

"Things seem to be going rather well with Robin." Snow states knowingly, and the tone of the woman's voice almost has Regina jumping across the table and strangling the brunette. If it weren't for the adorable baby in Snow's arms, Regina definitely would have snapped at the woman, but instead she just scoffs, and follows it with an amused smirk.

"Yes," she responds after a few seconds have passed, any tension between the two women evaporating, "he - he is my second chance." A smile forms on her lips as she watches Robin at the bar stool waiting on their drinks, the way he stands with confidence, laughs and jokes with his men beside him, everything about this man makes her smile.

"We've been through so much Regina," Snow says, a smile on her face as a look of contemplation colors her features, "to think…" and then the woman is silent, eyes focused elsewhere.

"To think what?" Regina questions, her brow furrowing with curiosity.

"It's nothing." Snow shakes her head, a sad smile on her face.

"Snow?" Regina means it as a question, but it comes out more demanding.

"Well," Snow begins tentatively, "back in the enchanted forest, I had a letter. I've always had it with me ever since I can remember, and that letter, it was the reason I had you banished. The reason I sent you away rather than allowing your execution."

"I've never heard you talk about a letter." Regina states plainly.

"Regina," Snow leans forward, placing the hand not holding Neal on top of Regina's, "it has been a long time since we have talked, really shared."

"True," Regina sends a small smile back to Snow. She is not sure if she'll ever be completely comfortable around the woman, but the affection she feels in her heart now is a far cry from the hatred and contempt she felt for years. "What did this letter say?"

"Oh, I have it here." Snow removes her hand to dig in the diaper bag beside her. "I always have it with me, hmmm, kind of odd that I never felt I could let it out of my possession. Here." Snow sets a small scrap of paper in front of Regina.

The moment her fingers come in contact with the slip of paper she can feel the magic, it oozes from the scribbled letters, from the parchment itself. Bringing a tentative hand to the aged note, Regina reads the words, first in her mind, then aloud, as if it might be different somehow, perhaps rolling off of her tongue the words might change or mean something more, or something less, she doesn't know.

"Give her another chance." Regina looks up at Snow, "I don't understand. Who gave you this? What does it mean?"

"I think we both know what it means Regina. There was a time I wasn't sure. I read and reread the words, and then was content to carry it close to me always, hoping the message would become clear, and I think it finally has." Snow's eyes meet Regina's across the table. "When I stopped your execution, I was thinking of this letter. I didn't know if it was about you. I didn't know if I could trust it, but something in my mind kept bringing me back to those words, and I couldn't let you die. I had to give you another chance. I truly believe it was meant for you Regina, meant about you."

"But how?" Regina questions, brow furrowing in confusion and distrust.

"I can answer that question, Deary." Gold's voice interrupts from beside her.

"Gold? What do you know of this," then it dawns on her. Before they left the camp, Rumple has pulled Snow into the tent, and Regina never had the opportunity to determine what had happened, what had gone on in that tent. A gasp escapes her mouth before she asks, "do you remember?"

"Vaguely dear. For me it is more like a dream. A hazy recollection. I remember enchanting that piece of parchment." He states with a gesture toward the paper. "I know I gave it to Snow White, but when, how, why, I can't quite pinpoint, cannot envision the situation. Clearly there is something more to remember. Care to fill me in?"

"It doesn't matter." Regina says, setting the parchment back down on the table. "Thank you," the words taste bittersweet, something Regina hopes won't last, hopes it will get easier, sweeter to be polite to these people she hated for so long.

"For what Regina?" Snow asks moving Neal to the carrier David has returned with, setting it beside his wife.

"For giving me another chance." Regina rises from the booth gracefully, leaving the couple with their newborn, gliding passed Mr. Gold as he steps toward a booth already holding Belle.

Robin is just turning to her as she steps up behind him, and there is a glimmer in his eye, a spark of electricity passing between them.

"Milady, your drink," he says, handing her a glass of dark amber colored liquid. She takes it from his hand, lets her fingers brush passed his skin, before raising the glass to her mouth, the liquid sloshing toward her lips. She takes two long sips of the whiskey while Robin's eyes linger on her crimson painted mouth. Then, setting the glass on the bar behind him, she lets her body collide gently with his until he is snug between her and the bar, and she leans forward, rising slightly on her toes to whisper in his ear.

"Care to take me home?"

He answers with a smirk, his teeth grazing his lower lip, and she thinks to herself how unfair it is, how those should be her teeth sinking into his flesh, and she is determined they will be soon. Robin's arm lifts to her hair, then moves past her neck to her shoulder while her own lifts to settle behind his back, and she allows him to guide her, to lead the way, to bring her home.

The End.

_Yay! All done. I hope you enjoyed. I'll be taking a little breather from writing for a bit, and then get back to my other OQ fic, "Doctor". _


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